comfort zones

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What a weekend!  How was yours?  Mine was just fabulous, really and truly, fabulous.

We don't say that enough do we - I had a fabulous weekend.  Most of it was spent on the water - learning to sail a Dinghy - at Ballyholme in County Down.  

As you know I adore the ocean, I've written about it here, and I know that I would spend all my time beside it if I could.  For as long as I can remember I have wanted to learn to sail, I have thought about it, dreamt about it, watched it, taken pictures on boats, and read about it, but I had never until this weekend, actually done anything about it.  Well now I have taken the first step and I know I am hooked, even more than I thought was possible and I can't wait to get back out there.

Although I have been on the water many times, and loved every moment of it, this weekend was the first time I took part in a sailing course, and guess what?  

I was completely and utterly 'out of my comfort zone'.  Sure I knew I was comfortable in on the water in a canoe, or a yacht - but a dinghy, well I'd never done it before, I had no idea how it worked, and I was apprehensive.  

Nothing about the weekend was familiar or comforting, apart from the ocean, and the desire to spend time on the sea.  The language of sailing, the processes on a boat, were all new to me, the people I was sailing with were new pals.  Everything was different, everything was new, and everything just surged with excitement.

Sure I had sailed before, but this weekend, this was me actually learning for myself, trying things out, being in control of a boat.  Finding out from the bottom how to do something, not just being shown how to do it but trying it out.  Sometimes new can be scarey, but for me this weekend it wasn't instead, it was exciting, and challening, entertaining, and motivating.   I loved every moment of it, even capsizing!

The feeling of the sea spray on my face, the motion of the boat as the waves hit her hull, the moving from side to side, as I learnt to tack, and jibe, beat, and reach, rest and ride; was excilariating.  I came out of the water feeling more alive than I have done in some time.

By the end of the weekend, I had passed my RYA Level One Dinghy sailing course, along with the rest of the group.  I know for sure I have only scratched the surface of a huge wave of learning, but I for one can't wait to jump in again, and find out more.

When we walk into the zone outside of our comfort, we have two choices, to stay there and embrace the new, the different, the unfamiliar, to stand up to the challenge, all of us are capable of taking or to sink backwards into a place were we are familiar, maybe not happy, but familiar, and therefore easy.  I urge you like I did this weekend to take the challenge.  

For me - Here's to life on the ocean waves...

What  are your best experiences of stepping out of the comfort zone, and into a new world that you just love?

That's it for now ...

Nics

salt and sparkle = life remarkable