Your comfort zone: a mother´s challenge to inspire you

This is an original post written by contributing writer Marilia.

Like many mothers out there I have a comfortable life. I live in a nice town, I have friends, my daughter goes to a nice school, I can work and practice sports three times a week, well…you get the picture: in one way or another, a nice ordinary life within my comfort zone.

Why then have I been feeling this urge to get away from all of this? What is it about the rest of the world, the unknown that is attracting me so strongly?

I want to get out of my comfortable life where I own my house, my bike, my surfboard, my books, etc, and go somewhere where I have to start from scratch. I´ll go and spend a few months in Costa Rica where I´ll have to make friends, find a new school for Luísa, a surf board, a place to live, time to work and really just be there for situations I can´t think of right now.

It doesn’t sound like a bad idea, does it?

Yet, after deciding on going away, selling my car and renting out my house, I started to feel  this anxiety, this fear inside. What if things go wrong? What if the schools are strange and I get trapped with Luísa 24/7 and find no time to work? What if I don´t make friends and feel lonely?

I guess there is only one way to find out: going for it!

So I bought the ticket and have no excuse not to go. I will throw myself into this adventure with my 3-year old in late January. We should be there (or near by) for at least six months.

I know it may sound like just vacation. Some might think: Come on, what´s the big deal, you are going to a tropical paradise, why would you not do it if you have the opportunity? Well, I guess mothers, and everybody else really, understand that we will think of millions of reasons not to do something amazing that is in our reach.

So yeah, going on an extended trip to Costa Rica does take some guts to do. And I´m proud I´m going through with this. A dream so many people have and can experience, and yet they won´t.

I hope this story inspires you to jump into something uncertain as well. Something you can´t figure out before you do it. Something scary and yet fascinating.

It doesn’t have to be as radical as living in another country, it can be taking the guts to finally take guitar classes or start painting or volunteer in your community. Some things look so easy to start at any time that we too often leave them for later. Start something at least slightly challenging. You will feel great about it.

If you are about to do something out of your ordinary life, maybe you could tell us in the comments. I know that some of you reading this are about to start an adventure of some sort. What better way to invite others to challenge their routines than showing up with our own challenges?