Progress Begins on the Other Side of Comfort

What’s the point? The seemingly existential question of life, it’s also a question I’ve been asked regarding this blog. What’s the point? The goal? The endgame?

Why am I doing this?

The answer probably needs to be condensed, more concise, but the why is so layered.

It started as a way to do something for me. A form of self-care, if you will.

So many thoughts in my head, competing for attention, that I needed a place to get them out.

For at least one year, I had debated starting a blog, and people were so supportive of the idea, that I finally decided to actually do it – instead of simply think or talk about it.

Words are great, but if there’s no action to back them up, they become meaningless. And I was tired of feeling meaningless.

In the past, when I’ve allowed myself to be vulnerable and braved opening up, people were understanding. It turns out, they’ve felt the same.

And so, opening up helped them. And helping them helped me. It made me realize that I’m not alone.

It gave me a sense of purpose.

I write because I want to get better at it. It took awhile to understand that I would only get better if I braved putting it out there, open to judgement and (hopefully constructive) criticism.

If I keep it inside, hidden, I won’t grow. Staying stagnant is part of the reason I’ve been so unhappy the past few years.

I need to force myself out of my comfort zone, because while what’s comfortable keeps you safe, safe keeps you trapped.

Progress begins on the other side of comfort.

I write because I want a closer connection between my personal and professional life.

I would love to get paid to do this; not to make millions from the next popular book series, but to write for a magazine, a media company, a brand I connect with.

Since entry level jobs seem to require years of experience, and my professional path hasn’t afforded me much, I’ll do it on my own.

I write because I’ve dealt with OCD since I was sixteen. I’ve dealt with anxiety since my 20s.

There is such a stigma when it comes to speaking out about mental health issues, which only makes it harder to speak out.

Some people are actively trying to break that stigma. Some of the outspoken are famous, popular, with a large following. They are lauded for speaking up.

I am not famous. My following is small. Sometimes, I wonder if anyone pays attention.

And then someone will let me know that, yes, they do. They are. I am seen.

I write to turn my thoughts into actions.

What’s the end game? I’d love to help break barriers and open up lines of communication about a topic that is often shied away from.

From a manifestation standpoint, I’d love to interview Nicholas Brendon and Juan Muniz, among others, about coping mechanisms and how they reached today’s high point from yesterday’s low.

I’d love to share and teach and learn and grow into a version of myself that I am content with.

I write for you. I write for me. I write because it’s the first actionable step towards making a difference, however big or small.