A couple of weeks ago, I was soaring in a small Cessna above the beautiful coastline and mountains of Southern California, having
slipped the surly bonds of earth
for a recreational flight from Orange County’s John Wayne Airport to Murrieta and back. It was something special – an adventure that a friend and I had pooled our funds for and purchased at a charity auction.

As we headed back to OC, buffeted by strong winds rising off the mountains that shook and shimmied our brave little craft, the pilot said, “OK, I’m going to hand the controls over to you – you can fly it for a while.”

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Photo: Mary Platt



Gulp. OK, not only are we 3,500 feet in the air, over green mountains and valleys that suddenly looked like jaws waiting to swallow us up (and all the little bits of debris caused by our imminent crash), but the unpredictable turbulence was, to say the least, daunting. I was trying to stay cool and not latch on in abject, screaming terror to the door handle, the various flapping straps or my seat every time the tiny plane made a stomach-dropping bump or lurch – and now this guy wants me to
fly the plane?
Is that even FAA-approved?

“Don’t worry – I’ll be in control the whole time,” the pilot assured me (which sounded suspiciously like Indiana Jones saying, “Trust me”…). “You’ll just be steering it.” Oh…
just
? Well, all right then. It’s just our three lives on the line, after all.

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Laguna Beach (Photo: Mary Platt)



As usual when the opportunity for an adventure – something out of the ordinary – presents itself, I am either too dumb or too crazy to make the quick decision to turn it down. And inevitably, that seemingly crazy, spur of the moment decision to do something — to acquiesce to an adventure, say, that presents itself unexpectedly – has led to either a new passion, or a moment of “hey, this isn’t so bad – in fact, it’s FUN!” — and to lifetime memories.

A former mentor calling me out of the blue to work on a writing project for him in Portugal – in the midst of a busy time in my life, but I dropped everything and went, and loved the work and that beautiful country. The sudden opportunity to get in on the ground floor of an Internet startup – which ultimately ended up going down the tubes, but I learned HTML backwards and forwards, how to create web pages and how to market on the Internet, and so who cared if our stock options ended up worthless? (Sigh. Well, we did care, a little.)

Waking up one morning and thinking, you know, I’ve always loved the sound of bagpipes – why don’t I find out how to take lessons? Which led to a 10-year stint performing in a bagpipe band, culminating in the band’s trip to Scotland for the World Championships (and no, we didn’t even come close to winning, but what an experience!). Even something so humble as trying a new food – OK, kaya toast? Coconut jam…on toast…that you dip into soft-boiled egg yolk? Sounds awf…heyyy, that’s really good! My new favorite thing! And I’m off into exploring more Filipino foods…

Breaking out of your comfort zone can be difficult, though, and acquiescing to the sudden adventure even more so. We get set into our routines of daily life, and it’s hard to step out of those and into the unknown. But here are a few tips that might help.

1. Don’t be afraid to look foolish.


The fear of what other people may think is one of the biggest things holding us back. But think about it – the most magnetic, compelling people in your life are no doubt those who are not afraid to be passionately creative, sometimes silly, sometimes over-the-top and often
less-than-perfect
.

2. Face your fear.


OK, I’m a little afraid of heights, but that doesn’t stop me from going up tall buildings, inching out onto the skywalk at the Grand Canyon or getting into small planes – and the view usually cancels out the trepidation. As a child, I was very afraid of snakes – until a zookeeper placed a garter snake in my hands and I felt the smooth muscles under dry, silky scales — the coiled power of the beautiful creature — and loved snakes from that moment on. Life’s too short to be terrified of the details. Instead of fear, call it
“productive discomfort,”
and push it, worry at it and tackle it whenever it arises.

3. Take the risk of failure.


Any time you break out of your comfort zone, sure, you might fail. But the world is not a safe or predictable place – and the old adage is true: we
learn from failing
.

4. Do something for its own sake.


For example, I love music, but I discovered long ago that I will never be more than a solid second-part player – virtuosity in music is not me, as hard as I practice. But the band or orchestra needs solid second- and third-part players who practice with dedication. Discovering this was not “failing” – it was
simply gaining more self-knowledge
. I can enjoy participating in music for the sheer joy of doing it, while aiming to excel in other areas of my life.

5. Find a coach or mentor.


It can be
someone in your field of work
, but not necessarily. It can be a supportive friend or family member, too. A mentor can help you visualize stepping out of your “zone” and the new behaviors you’ll need in the new situation. And they can encourage and help you persevere whenever the going gets tough.

What are the benefits of breaking free from your comfort zone? Pushing your personal boundaries inevitably
leads to more creativity
, and helps you
go with the flow when dealing with change
, as we all inevitably do.

“You have the plane,” the pilot said, and I replied, as is the rule, “I have the plane.” All of a sudden the steering column came alive under my hands, and I could feel the shake and shiver of each blast of wind turbulence.

But…I could also feel the calm assurance of the lift and flow of air over and under the wings, the solidity of the science of flight that I’d read about in books but had never truly, simply
felt
, even when riding on large airliners. “Aim for that mountain up ahead – that’s Signal Peak,” said the pilot, and I discovered that a finger’s-breadth of steering gently nudged the plane in that direction.

We flew straight and steady, held up by the air itself. I played with the steering, waggling the wings a tiny bit this way and that, suppressing a laugh as I did, at the thrill of discovering something new, something I’d never felt before.
Nothing
was going to knock this little craft out of the sky – it was sturdy as a rock, thrumming over the mountains, clawing through the wind, heading toward that blue ocean on the horizon.

I had the plane, and I loved it. So, up next: flying lessons?