A Better Life, Every Day

Today I Stepped Out of My Comfort Zone...And I Liked It!

I recently joined the Toastmasters group at work.  In fact, last week was my first week as an official member, and I think that being a part of this group is going to help me greatly.  I have had a tendency of being very shy in groups of people, and the thought of speaking in front of people is downright frightening to me. 

During last week's meeting, I sat next to the person in charge of the Table Topics (a 1-2 minute impromptu speech), and he said to me, "You're going to volunteer for the Table Topics, right?"  What choice did I have?  I figured, "it's my first meeting, who is going to hold it against me if I screw up?"  When asked for volunteers, I raised my hand, went up to the front of the room, and delivered my short speech.  It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be!  In fact, I was so encouraged, I volunteered to take part in the Table Topics speech contest to be held this week.

As the days went by, I thought to myself, "What the hell were you thinking?  You can't go up and speak as part of this contest!"  My nerves were eased by the fact that the speech was supposed to be a humorous speech.  Being a clown (not literally), I felt I could give a comedic performance for a little over a minute.  At this point, I was feeling a little better about my decision.  Who knew that feeling could disappear so quickly?

At the meeting, it was announced that the Table Topics would not be humorous.  What, not humorous?  How could that be?  My nerves started to fray, my heart started to pound, and I began to sweat.  I thought about backing out, but how would that look?  I would have to step outside my comfort zone and give my speech.  As someone who has lived quite happily inside his comfort zone for years, I knew this would not be easy, and it wasn't!

When the Contest Master gave me the word "Sunshine" to speak about, my mind went blank.  Thankfully I recovered, and the words just started flowing out of my mouth.  It was such a weird feeling, but it was working.  Then I got stuck!  I had no idea where I was going to take the speech from that point.  I paused, looked away from the audience, and delivered a line that had everyone in the room laughing.  It was such an incredible feeling!  I had done it!  My speech was done, and I was able to inject some humor into it.

At the end of the meeting, the judges announced the winners of the speech contest, and I had won!  Now I have the opportunity to compete in a larger contest in the area on Thursday.  This will present an even bigger challenge, but because of stepping out of my comfort zone today, I believe I can do it.

What incredible thing could you accomplish today if you stepped out of your comfort zone?

3 Important and Universal Life Lessons From Kung Fu Panda

A little over a week ago, we took the girls to see Kung Fu Panda.  Not only did we see a great movie, but there were at least three important and universal life lessons that can be learned from it.

There are no accidents - There is a reason behind everything that happens in our lives.  The decisions we make and the actions we take today will determine what happens to us in the future.  That is why worrying and getting upset about things that are out of your control are such a waste of time.  Make your future a great one by doing the things today that will make it great.  This may mean making the tough choice or doing the difficult today for a better tomorrow.

There is no secret ingredient - Too often we go through life waiting for great things to happen to us, but what we need to be doing is going out and making great things happen for us.  Waiting for the secret ingredient that will never come is not a way to a better life.  Realize that you must do what is necessary to have a great life, and then go out and do it!

You must believe - Believing in yourself and the things that you are capable of is the foundation to all great successes.  It is one of the most important things you can do in order to lead a better life.  Everyone of us has amazing talents, and having a belief in yourself and your abilities is a must!  A conversation from another movie, The Empire Strikes Back, makes this point perfectly:

Luke: "I don't believe it!"
Yoda: "And that is why you fail"

Also, show someone else that you believe in him or her.  The confidence you will give that person will help them do amazing things too.  The simple act of believing in someone can trigger events that will lead to great accomplishments.

I will be teaching these lessons to my girls from this day forward.  I want them to believe in themselves, and I will aid that along by showing them that I believe in them.  I will teach them that there is no secret ingredient, so go out make things happen for themselves.  They will also learn that there are no accidents; the decisions and action of today will determine their tomorrows.

For some similar thoughts, Dumb Little Man has a post of five life lessons learned from Kung Fu Panda.