Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone- A 12 Year Old Client

During a longboard therapy^® session, a 12-year-old client shared something quite brilliant with me, and I want to share it with you.

She shared that she watches a show about zombies called The Walking Dead. I reacted to this revelation with surprise, because I know she has certain fears, and I wouldn't have expected her to watch a scary show. When I asked, "You watch that show?" the client confidently replied, "Yes, I do. But I have a plan before each episode so I don't get too scared."

I was quite eager to hear the plan...

She explained that prior to watching the show, she watches the behind-the-scenes from the previous episode. Her reasoning for doing this, she explained, is "So that I am reminded that this is not real and it is just acting." I replied, "Brilliant!!!" And I meant every exclamation point.

 I was so proud of this client for not shying away from watching the show that she really wanted to watch because it was too scary. She allowed herself to venture out of her comfort zone and devised a brilliant plan for doing so!

I learn many humbling life lessons from every client that I have the privileged of working with. The particular lesson I took from this client is that there is always a way to persevere—you just have to step outside your comfort zone and have a plan to ensure that you no longer retreat back into old patterns when the going gets tough.