The baby chicks were relocated from their nursery box in the basement to the Red Hot Chicken Coop outside.

Keep in mind they’ve been living inside a 4’ x 2’ box.

Suddenly they were thrust into a space that’s easily 10 times the size they were living in AND with multiple levels. It’s a lot for a little chicklet to take in.

Well, we didn’t want to overwhelm their lil chick noggins, so we deliberately didn’t let them in the outside enclosed yard for a few days.

Yesterday we opened the ramp to the great outdoors. And they. Just. Stared.

There was this whole new world opened to them. But they were more comfortable inside their coop.

We had to physically put them into the yard, one by one. And guess what?

They loved it! They were chirping and running around…burrowing in the dirt and shaking their tail feathers.

They wouldn’t go out on their own because they were sitting pretty in their comfort zone.

A lot of times it’s easier to stay in our comfort zones too, right? Doing something different can be scary. But getting out of our safe spaces is how we grow.

When we’re in our comfort zone, we don’t have much incentive to acquire new skills or reach new heights of performance. Sure, it’s less risky…but it also can cause us to flatline. Become boring. To plateau.

It takes courage to step into new experiences. Because we don’t have a clear roadmap from previous accomplishments to guide us. So, we get scared.

It’s totally normal to avoid the fear zone.

But when you’re out of your safe space, you’re much more likely to learn new things and get different outcomes. I mean, what choice do you have when you’re in the middle of a strange adventure? You deal with what is and stretch your neuropathways.

When you get the courage to come out of your hidey-hole, that’s where you really grow as a person and a craftsman.

These days I find myself in the fear zone A LOT. I feel my heart pounding whether it’s running into a rattler or riding my very green horse on the property. But I do it anyway.

It’s a rush. And that sense of accomplishment transfers over to my writing. I find the more I push myself to be uncomfortable, the more confidence and capability I have in all areas of my life.

You can do it too.

When you have an opportunity to stretch yourself, say YES. In the words of John Wayne, feel the fear and saddle up anyway, Pilgrim.

The payoff is huge.