I signed up for a video class since I have little to no experience doing videos on social media and it is something I would like to add to my platform.  I knew I would be nervous about getting in front of the camera.  I even posted on FB that I was getting out of my “comfort zone” that day.  Our coach and mentor stepped us through everything we needed to know, from organizing what we were going to say, the purpose of the video, how to stand, best word choice and more.  When it was my turn,  my brain scrambled and my confidence was MIA.  Words I say every day about my business vanished into thin air.

We did several takes and got through it.  It was a lot harder than I thought and my ego was beating me up all the way home.  The negative self-talk was in full gale force.  I had to pull a few coaching tricks out of my bag and talk myself back off the emotional ledge I was teetering on.  “This is a new skill”. “You have never done this before.” “Don’t expect to be perfect the first try”.  Logically I knew this, but I struggled to let go of feelings of failure.

The next day at church, the sermon was on – guess what? “Getting out of your comfort zone”.  Thank you God for the quick message!  It was on point.  Getting out of your comfort zone stretches you and gets you ready for something new and better.  We all have aspirations and dreams; things we want to achieve, but uncomfortableness is step one.  The only way to avoid it is to stay in your rut and go nowhere.

Soaring

It has finally warmed up a bit and I was having coffee on the porch.  The wind was gusting tossing things about in the backyard.  I noticed a bird soaring on the wind and how effortless and peaceful it looked.

The wind which was abrasive to me was giving the bird extra potential to fly without flapping.  It didn’t knock him off course, he used it to buoy his journey and fly further and longer.  I wondered about his “comfort zone”.  Did the wind cause him distress and worry?  It didn’t appear to, he was just doing “his” thing.  The wind actually seemed to urge him along.    I had my phone and saved these words.

Watching birds
Intent on their destinations
Lifted by the wind
Not blown off course
Carried onward unapologetically
No comfort zone

Choosing

As I reflect on these two experiences, I see how they play out in my diabetes management.  It is easy to get into a rut of testing, pumping, carb counting and then covering when your sugar isn’t where you want it.  The truth is I am probably overdue to test my pump basal settings, but its such a pain and the thought of it is not in my comfort zone.  Fasting is not my jam and changing settings comes with some risk.  I have my routine and I don’t have to think too much about it.  But if I want better control of my sugars it is the smart thing to do.  Our bodies and our insulin needs change over time.  So I will choose selfishly to do it – it benefits no one but me – and I will use the memory of that bird who didn’t fight the wind but soared to new heights as my beacon.

As for the video – stick around and you will see.  I have nowhere to go but up!

Peace,