Hi everybody! Terri and I are swapping spots again today. She'll be back on Thursday, July 23. Meanwhile, I hope you're encouraged and inspired to Step Out of Your Comfort Zone! :)
It may come as a surprise to you, but I’m a routine kinda gal. I eat the same cereal for breakfast and wake up and go to bed every day about the same time. Wait staff from our favorite restaurants don’t bother asking for my order; they just confirm it. I write only from my quiet office and take breaks in regular intervals. Interruptions throw me off kilter, and it takes a while to regain my balance.
It may come as a surprise to you, but I’m a routine kinda gal. I eat the same cereal for breakfast and wake up and go to bed every day about the same time. Wait staff from our favorite restaurants don’t bother asking for my order; they just confirm it. I write only from my quiet office and take breaks in regular intervals. Interruptions throw me off kilter, and it takes a while to regain my balance.
But being a writer is slowly eroding my
routine. That, or my husband is. :)
He’s always testing the boundaries of my
comfort zone. He prodded me to write my first book and
encouraged this shy introvert to join a writers group. When our local librarian invited me to
address their readers, hubby rattled off a list of possible topics and practically
shoved me into the public speaking arena when I would have been perfectly
content to hide out in the obscurity of my office, pecking away at my laptop. Eventually,
readers would find my stories, right?
Now, he’s at it again. Prodding me to expand
my horizons. Travel. Food. Where does it stop?
Three years ago, he convinced me that a
European cruise was cheaper than some of our US vacations, and we’ve cruised
there every year since. We’ve craned our necks to stare up at the Eiffel Tower,
climbed the Colosseum in Rome, and explored ancient walled cities in Tuscany
and volcanoes in Iceland. We devoured pizza in Belfast, gobbled down granitas
and cannoli’s in Sicily, guzzled espresso in Barcelona, and tasted authentic
fish and chips in London.
And you know what? I actually enjoyed it. Not
necessarily every new meal or city, but the experience.
He doesn’t have to sell me on it anymore. When he mentions a cruise, I’m
totally on board. :)
We all need someone like that, don’t we? A
friend or spouse to push us to achieve more, to reach for our dreams, to fill a
hole with something that we’re passionate about, or to force us to face our
fears. For me, it's usually fear of the unknown.
What are you afraid of?
Join that writers group. Attend a writers conference. Write the story that's burning in your heart. Submit it to publishers or agents. What's the worst that could happen? Is a rejection letter really that bad? Conversely, what's the best that could happen? A published book? Landing your dream agent?
Embrace life. Surround yourself with people who love you enough to shove you out of your comfort zone. Give your dreams wings to become reality and discover yourself.
Just wait until hubby starts messing with my
bedtime. Or leaving brochures for Antarctica on the kitchen counter… :)
Who shoves you out of your comfort zone?
Name your fear. How did you try to overcome it?
“Risk, then, is not just
part of life. It is life. The place between your comfort zone and your dream is
where life takes place. It's the high-anxiety zone, but it's also where you
discover who you are.” ~Nick Vujicic
 |
| Purchase Link |
Burn survivor
Savvy McCord doesn't blame her best friend for running away. She can't even
look at her scars without wincing. When Beck's disappearing act spans years,
she relinquishes dreams of love and marriage. Unable to face Savvy's
expectations of happily-ever-after, Beck Harmon deserts her, far away from the
rumors that he's just like his father. When the wanderer returns, dreams of
forever blossom in Savvy's heart, but she worries he'll leave again. Can Beck
convince Savvy that her true beauty comes from her inner strength and faith?
Will his idea to help burn victims regain their self-confidence restore Savvy's
trust in him? Will love be what the wanderer needs to find peace for his
hurting soul?
 |
| Dora Hiers |
Dora Hiers is a multi-published author of Heart
Racing, God-Gracing romances. She’s a member of RWA and her local chapter, Carolina Romance Writers. Connect with her on Seriously Write, Fiction Faith & Foodies, Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest.
