Life Begins When You Let Go

Forgive me for repeating another quote we have all heard before, “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone” but it’s true. If you saw my last post about scheduling appointments with the app Cue, I went to a networking event for the Jacksonville Digital Marketing Meetup (#JaxDMM). By committing myself to go made me a nervous wreck. Why? Because…

I’m an introvert.
I am one of the youngest people doing what I do.
sometimes I let fear hold me back.
I forget these are the exciting times in life.

For all these reasons and many more, I realized these are all areas I feel outside my comfort zone. Guess what? I danced outside bubble of feeling safe, and now I have five new connections and two meetings from people I know from Twitter. I was even asked if I wanted to be a board member of a local marketing chapter

This big step moved me closer to feeling safe again. What am I talking about? When I push myself to do one “scary” thing at a time, it stretches my comfort zone a little further.

Life beings when you start to let the “scary” things go…

My phone gets to recharge, why can’t I?

I have not brought myself to escape and write like I used to and that makes me sad. (For those who are writers or creative know what I am talking about.) Some people might get inspiration from online or another person or medium, but that does not always work for me. Sometimes I just need to recharge…

When was the last time you stepped away from your computer, television, or even phone to just think for yourself? Have you safely distanced yourself from others to hear your own thoughts? If you had to think for more than a minute, then you are probably like me–overworked. For as long as I can remember, I have worked six days a week between retail, freelancing, and maintaining contacts and connections. My day “off” is usually Sunday, but even on those days I am connecting and engaging with people. Extroverts can get by without having to recharge their social battery as often, but I like most introverts find it necessary to survive. I find out who the person I am again by my own standards and not the worlds by escaping. When my thoughts starts to fill up with other things other than my own voice, then I know it is time to step back and recharge…

A Few Ways Anyone Can Step Back and Recharge

Read.  When you read, you can relax your mind and escape into a conversation at your own pace.

Be quiet in solitude.  I try meditating to clear my mind and refocus on me for a while.

Exercise.  I lace up my running shoes and go for a jog to release tension that has built up.

Pray.  My heart is heavy for many people, so I say a prayer for each one and let God handle the rest.

Smile.  By smiling when you are alone, you evoke happiness from within. This is something not everyone can do but it is a valuable trait some may call independence.

Bake.  Finding an old recipe my mother used to bake warms my heart and takes me back to days and memories of when I was a child.

Dance.  Turn up the music and dance like no one is watching.

Hot shower/bubble bath.  This time is about you. Instead of being on a time limit, allow the hot water to wash away your schedule for the day.

Go for a walk.  Listen to what is around you and bask in the moment in your environment.

What are some ways you recharge that has been helpful to you?