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Are you a comfort zone breaker?
Meet two inspirational comfort zone breakers who embrace change and enjoy the journey.
Faith Foushee
August 02, 2024
Whether you know it or not, you set invisible boundaries for yourself.
Inside the boundary, you feel safe, like you’re wrapped in a fuzzy blanket of familiarity. These are your comfort zones—unspoken rules you follow unconsciously.
But as they say, rules are meant to be broken. And so are comfort zones.
Today, let’s meet two comfort zone breakers.
And don’t miss this week’s challenge at the end 😁.
TLDR: Vanessa and Lauren are two incredible women taking the leap of faith towards their dreams and there’s much we can learn from their journey.
“The more we get out of our comfort zones, the more we’re able to grow. Change happens whether we want it to or not. Find ways to embrace change and enjoy life now instead of fighting it.”
A leap of faith powered by faith.
Introducing comfort zone breaker #1, Vanessa Lopez. She is a mother of five children, a business developer, AND an entrepreneur. Her journey is all about bold faith and resilience.
“I’m in a season of being 100% out of my comfort zone. But I’m also 100% in God’s will for me.”
Here’s Vanessa’s story:
Nine and a half years ago, during a morning prayer session, Vanessa felt called to open a school. She took a leap of faith and started with a homeschool co-op, which grew rapidly, showing a clear need and interest in the community.
However, Vanessa’s world turned upside down when her son was diagnosed with cancer. During his treatments, she closed the co-op to focus on his health.
For three and a half years, the family’s priority was her son’s recovery. Once his health strengthened, Vanessa looked for new opportunities and found a role at a church. This position, followed by work at a homeschool hybrid, allowed her to develop leadership and business skills, preparing her for the future.
Four years ago, she felt another nudge from God. On a whim, she emailed a software company that her school had been using, to ask about a job. Despite doubts and a lack of experience in the tech industry, they saw potential in her and she got the job.
Thriving in this role gave Vanessa confidence, but the calling to open a school never faded. Last year, she decided to fully pursue her dream.
“When you feel a strong call, go for it. You never know what could happen, but He’s going to work it out. And there’s a really good chance it won’t make sense on paper. But I call that God math.”
In July, she officially registered the school with the state. Now, they are in the exciting process of enrolling students and building their community to start the first school season in August!
Takeaways:
You grow the most when you’re uncomfortable.
Having a strong support network is key to finding comfort through challenges.
Embrace change and challenge instead of resisting it and you’ll find more joy in the journey.
Admitting you want a change is the first step.
Our next comfort zone breaker is Lauren Gibson, whose journey is as inspiring as it is bold. From a young age, Lauren has embraced the unknown, starting with solo travels around the world.
Her career spans diverse fields like NFTs, AI, Web3, the real estate Metaverse, and so much more. Lauren’s experience shows her fearless approach to tackling new challenges.
Lauren’s most recent venture is launching a newsletter about the future of work where she inspires others to take risks, build dreams, and live a life you love.
Lauren is a comfort zone breaking expert. With her latest venture, she is challenging herself to take ownership of her work.
“I've always been like a writer and enjoy writing for myself, but also know there’s more I want to do. Building something in public is a new comfort zone to step out of. It means people are watching, including people I care about most.”
Lauren emphasized how building in public holds you accountable, but it's also incredibly vulnerable. While building in public means opening yourself up to judgment, you also have the responsibility to follow through and improve.
“I know my strengths are networking and connecting people. Now I’m leaning into the uncomfortable zone of building something. I’m much more of an ideas person, the execution part is where I get uncomfortable.”
She has a two-step approach to getting out of your comfort zone:
Admit
Apply
“You have to admit what you want and what you’re upset about. Then put it outside of yourself by applying. Whether it’s to a person, company, school, or something else, make it happen.”
Takeaways:
Embrace vulnerability and share your journey with others.
Admitting your desires and frustrations is the first step to getting out of your comfort zone.
Applying ignites change and sets you on the path to creating the life you love.
The challenge
This week, admit to yourself the thing you want to change AKA what makes you feel Unsettled.
Write it down on a piece of paper.
You don’t have to share this with anyone. But you are acknowledging it to yourself.
Once you do it, reply to this email with “Done.”
Let’s be comfort zone breakers together 💪.
Writer’s note:
We are shifting to a bi-weekly schedule to provide even more value in each newsletter. Here’s what to expect:
Each month will have a theme.
The first newsletter of the month will be about the theme with resources.
The second will be inspiring stories from those who embody the theme.
Cheers to you,
Faith Foushee 🤸
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