I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I love the feeling of empowerment you experience when you do something new or something scary. It actually energizes me. I think Eleanor Roosevelt had the right idea when she said, “Do something that scares you every day."

It's why I love the collection of stories in our book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Get Out of Your Comfort Zone, so much!

One of my favorite stories from the book comes from Allison Lynn. She steps out of her comfort zone when she steps out onto a stage, for her very first solo. Here is a sneak peek at the story:

In her story, "Singing for Strangers," Allison talks about how she loved to sing and that she was good at it. Allison joined her first choir at age five and she kept on going, happy to be hidden in the second row as one of many. She joined every musical group she could find in junior high, but always ensembles no matter which instrument she was playing.

And then the choir director asked Allison to sing a solo in the Christmas concert. Allison had dreamed of singing a solo, but it also terrified her. She wished there was a version of her that could sing, alone, in front of crowds of people. But she wasn’t that person yet. She was still a person who wanted to hide in the second row of the choir.

Allison’s parents convinced her she could do it, and her mother helped her prepare her solo.

And then on the drive to school, Allison freaked out. But she got on that stage and she performed her solo, and she didn’t even know how it had gone until a woman sought her out after the performance and told her how great she was. That praise from a stranger meant more than the praise of Allison’s family and friends.

Allison wrote, “A person I didn’t know had loved my song. Something powerful was happening, something I didn’t fully understand but something I just couldn’t shake.”

She didn’t know it, but that woman planted a seed that began to grow.

Over the next few years, Allison sang more and more solos, and by the time she got to college she knew she wanted to be a professional singer.

She continues in her story, “As I write this today, I’m sitting in the rehearsal room that I share with my musician husband. Our nine albums line a shelf on the wall. Our awards sit on the mantle. Photos and posters celebrate our national concert tours.”

So, here's my challenge to you: embrace the thrilling adventure of trying new things, and go conquer the very thing that scares you the most!



Amy Newmark