Eleanor Roosevelt is famously (mis)quoted as saying, “Do one thing every day that scares you.” While it was actually Mary Schmich who penned those famous words, the point is: It’s good to step out of your comfort zone and take a risk.
Challenge: do something that scares you
Why? Shake up the routine and do something that scares you. Taking calculated risks helps you experience things you never would otherwise. Embrace those butterflies in your tummy and go for it.
Our ladies react:
Akilah: People love to complain about how expensive New York City is. And sure, the rents are only rising, but where else can you get a $1 slice of pizza the size of your torso and a mani-pedi for a cool $20?
I’ve wanted — no, I’ve deserved — this little getaway for months after enduring the longest, harshest winter of my life. My nail technician was courteous enough to not mock the excess dry skin too much, and I selected a color on my fingernails that I’d never thought I would: electric blue.
I am quirky and whimsical, but am I that quirky and whimsical? Would it look good with every outfit? I didn’t care. I let her do her worst, and I am happy to say I’m OK with it. I kinda like it, even. Fear: 0, Akilah: 1.
Lauren: I am terrified to take group workout classes. I always want to do it, but the few times I have, I’ve made a fool of myself. (Remember step class? My experience still haunts me.) I have been eating healthy and working out, but I’ve been a little bored with my current routine. So I decided to step out of my comfort zone and take a BOSU ball cardio class since it looked intriguing. I got there right at 5:15 (yes, a.m.) and the instructor had us grab three BOSU balls, weights and a workout band. The rest of the class was a blur of balancing, push-ups, squats, jumping jacks… I lost track of it all. Around 5:50 I felt like I was going to throw up, and that feeling didn’t go away until the class was over at 6:15. I only tripped and slipped a few times, and when it was done, I knew I’d had a great workout. The next day I woke up super-sore, and my streak of gym boredom was broken. Maybe I will even take another class… maybe.
Deborah: I did something that scared me quite a bit. I had a disagreement with my mother-in-law and instead of avoiding confrontation, I was very direct and told her exactly what was wrong. I’m normally very open and blunt, but when it comes to her, I try to avoid conflict. This time, she did something inconsiderate that hurt my feelings and instead of avoiding her or letting it go, I was completely upfront and told her that she’d hurt my feelings. It made me sick to my stomach to do it, but it felt good to let her know how I felt.
Our Everyday Inspiration series wants to inspire you with small ways to improve your life. We’ve asked 20 women to take on a variety of small challenges and share their results. See all of our Everyday Inspiration challenges here, and meet the women here.
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