| After I wrote about pedal-pushing around Vermont last month, I received a delightful email from Jean. Jean and I worked together when she participated in a mentoring program that her company hosted on our MentorLead platform.
Here’s what Jean shared:
”I was laid off from the company in November 2018. I knew my life direction needed a refresh. I decided to go for my dream: live and work abroad. I called this my Grand Adventure.
“Bound for the unknown, I was unsure if I was up for the challenge. People thought I was crazy!
“Today I’m living and working in Prague teaching English as a foreign language.
”Every day hasn’t been full of roses, but I feel very much alive and stronger than I ever imagined.”
Psychology magazine editor Hara Estroff Marano observed in her column recently, “It’s called self-esteem because only you can do things to lift it.”
As Jean discovered, the way to boost your self-esteem is to challenge yourself and to do some things differently.
By trying new things, we uncover new things about ourselves, like our own strength.
When we approach situations with courage, tenacity, and resilience, we impress ourselves. And we quickly realize that our comfort zone actually stretches.
Ultimately it’s through experiences that we elevate our self-esteem.
Jean’s comfort zone screamed:
- I should find another job in corporate America
- What will people think?
- What do I know about living abroad?
- What if it doesn’t work?
But she dared:
- My family and friends will come around
- I’ll find a job
- I’ll figure it out
- I want an adventure
When we stop relying on that which is familiar, comfortable, and safe, we can create various Grand Adventures and fuel our own self-esteem in the process.
Old keys never open new doors. |
