I am very comfortable in my own company. I have a few friends with whom I socialise with on a not-so-regular basis. My husband is my best friend. My home is my comfort zone, my little sanctuary. I stay home and enjoy my own and my family’s company almost ALL the time.
Don’t get me wrong, we go out, usually to a friends or family members house for a barbeque or for an event and we have held such gatherings in our home. This has been the norm for some time, having little children it has, for the most part, been easier to stay home than to venture out around naps, cranky time and toilet stops.
But now that my youngest Bubba has turned 4 and next year heading to school (prep), he is becoming a lot more independent, outings are less complicated and this Mumma has realised that she has been living in her little comfort zone for too long.
A little while ago, a discussion was had on my facebook page when I posted that I felt very alone amongst the other School Mums who seemed to be effortlessly chatting away to each other. Turns out there are many of us who just can’t seem to converse easily with the other School Mums and even find it quite intimidating considering the little clicks that seem to form.
It may well be just that group of woman that hang around on that particular afternoon as there are a few School Mums that I do regularly small talk with and say Hello/wave as drive past. It could very well be me and my uncomfortableness, feeling that whatever I say will come out wrong or that I don’t have much interesting to say.
Recently, I was introduced to a friend of a friend online and after chatting, we came to the realisation that we have children not only at the same school but all within a year or two of each other! With our youngest boys heading off to Prep together next year, she kindly invited both my son and I along with a couple of her girlfriends (who also have boys that will be in Prep with them next year) for a ‘date’ at a Playcentre.
Naturally, fear struck. I had only spoken briefly, mostly online, to her and didn’t know the other ladies at all.
This is where the deliberation sets in. What if I have nothing to say? It is going to feel really awkward. Stomach is doing somersaults (and not the good kind) at just the mere thought of it! I would normally talk myself out of it and choose to stay home, remaining in my little comfort zone.
Something changed. Sure all the horrible scenarios played in my head and the stomach somersaulted beyond belief BUT this time, I basically told myself to ‘SHUT UP!’
If the worst were to happen, would it really be that bad?
What did I have to lose?
More importantly, what could I GAIN from this experience?
So I pushed that negative nancy aside, packed up my Bubba Boy and we headed off to that Playcentre.
Sure, it was a little awkward. Sure, I was like a nervous wreck for the first little while.
But you know what? I don’t think once I said something that was terribly silly or had much of a struggle to find something to say at all. I could do it and I did do it!
What did I lose? NOTHING
What did I gain? A previously unfounded confidence, mental stimulation through adult conversation face-to-face and a familiarity with more School Mums.
Bubba Boy had a blast – promptly falling asleep on the drive home and you know the best thing? They suggested we make it a regular monthly date.
So there you go. Step out of that Comfort Zone once in a while, Get on with IT already and gain from it! What have you got to lose?
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