Life Begins Outside Your Comfort Zone: 3 things I’ve learned from a Ragnar Relay, a 50K trail race, and a career change
When was the last time you did something outside of your comfort zone? I just ran a crazy relay race, and it got me thinking about living with a limited mindset. Pushing past your limits is a great way to grow but can also be a scary endeavor. Here are just 3 things that I have learned from pushing past my limits and living outside my comfort zone.
- Age ain’t nothing but a number. You might not know this, but Dr. Pam and I were part of a 12-woman Ragnar Relay team running across Tennessee from Chattanooga to Nashville. We ran through the night, we ran sleep deprived, we ran up and down hills all over the Tennessee countryside. We cheered each other on, and for the most part, we all had an amazing time. Would you believe the average age of our team was 49?! Would you believe that we were the 3rd place female team?! I’ve never felt more proud to be part of a team than with my fellow Ragnar ladies, and I also haven’t laughed so hard in a long time. We all pushed ourselves beyond what we thought possible and past our comfort zone. I know my team mates didn’t intend on teaching me a life lesson, but seriously age ain’t nothing but a number. My team proved that!!
- You can do anything you set your mind to. Last April, I ran my first 50K (32.9miles) through the Daniel Boone National Forest in Kentucky as part of the Yamacraw race. I put in the training, and I logged a lot of miles in preparation. During the race, I made friends along the winding course, I walked up some giant hills and talked to other people who were also running their first 50K. I stopped at aid stations and had a lot of PB&J sandwiches. Then I hit mile 26, and the real race began. I was hurting….all over….my knees, my ankles, my legs were so tired. I wanted to quit. I kept telling myself that each step I was taking was one step further than any race I’ve ever run. I had to remind myself that I had just one more turn, and there really can’t be anymore big hills, right?! Then I could hear it, the finish line. I could hear cheering, and I knew it was close. You see, my support team (my husband and 2 boys) were waiting for me. They were counting on me, and they knew that I could do it. I came around a corner, the very last turn, and started the last quarter mile of the race across a giant bridge. That’s when I saw my oldest son standing there cheering for me, and all the emotions hit me at once. My poor husband thought I was injured, but I assured him I was crying tears of joy. Let me tell you, those pictures came out awful. Knowing that I had people waiting on me, who believed in me, and knew that I could do it was the push I needed to complete the race.
- Don’t let fear dictate your life. I haven’t always been a chiropractor. I spent 6 years as a research molecular biologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta before embarking upon my chiropractic journey. When I stumbled upon chiropractic and saw what it did for me, for my kids, and for my husband, I knew that not only did I want to know more about chiropractic, but I also wanted to give back to others what I had been given by being under care. I was terrified of quitting my job and trying to go back to school with two small children and a husband who works crazy hours as a firefighter. However, I honestly can’t imagine what life would be like had I let the fear of stepping out of my comfort zone of my previous career stop me.
As you begin to live outside your comfort zone and push past your limits, be sure to come in and get adjusted. Making sure that your nervous system is functioning optimally will help you remember that the only limitations in life are those you set for yourself. Be sure to tell us what you’ve done recently that is outside your comfort zone!!
Dr. Shannon
