“If you want something new, you have to stop doing something old.”

When was the last time you tried doing something new?

I’m an introvert & have social anxiety. So being around new people and new social situations makes me feel uneasy. I signed up to be a parent volunteer at my daughters dance school for their big annual show. I’ve never done that before and I don’t really know any of the other moms besides a passing wave or a quick hello after dropping my daughter off at the school.

So I reluctantly wrote my name on the volunteer sheet so that I could get out of this social rut I’ve been in for the past “X years”.  Being a fulltime caretaker for both of my boys (Cancer & Autism) and my elder parents left very little free time in my schedule to socialize.  I always put everyone’s needs ahead of mine (which I don’t have a problem with) but as a result it left me socially inept. The morning of the show I did have a little anxiety but nothing requiring me to take anti-anxiety medication, lol.  I was paired up with another mom and to my surprise it was her first time volunteering as well. She was extremely nice and we got along instantly. After a couple of hours she confessed that she was initially nervous at the thought of working with people she didn’t know and I told her I felt the same. She was stunned because she told me I appeared as cool as a cucumber.  We exchanged phone numbers and said we would contact each other to team up for the next volunteer day.

I am really pleased that I stepped out of my comfort zone to try this new experience. I feel like I’m slowly starting to come out of my shell and I made a new friend in the process. It all goes to show that sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith, let go and be present in the moment.