My Comfort Zone Is Not For Me Anymore

Hello to anyone taking the time out of their day to read this. My name is Megan Lashley, and I am currently twenty-two years old. I have always had a passion for reading and writing, but it has taken me until right now, on this random Thursday night, to overcome my own fears.

When people ask me to name one thing about myself, the first thing I want to say is “I’m super shy” or “I’m an introvert.” I find it to be a shame that these are the first and sometimes only ways that I characterize myself. I created this blog because I am far more than just an introvert, and I want to show you. (If you are reading this and you know me, you’ve most likely never heard me speak more than five times. I’m quiet, but my brain is not. Have a look.)

Lately, I’ve been spending a significant amount of time pondering the person I want to be. I WANT to be successful. I WANT to be healthy. I WANT to be fit. I WANT to voice my ideas. I WANT to live the way I imagine myself living. Like anybody else, I have large dreams—dreams that people from my tiny town would laugh at if I ever expressed them. I’ve been allowing my thoughts of pursuing these dreams to consume every ounce of my being, but I have never once attempted to chase them. What if I get made fun of? What if nobody likes me? What if I look stupid? What if? What if? What if?

What if I touch somebody’s heart? What if I make sense to just one person? What if I succeed? I’ve made the decision to change my mindset about these “what if” questions. For every negative “what if,” I ask myself a positive “what if.” If I don’t start believing in myself now, I will never, ever get what I want. I might struggle to find my voice when I am staring at you face-to-face, but through writing, I will find it. Through writing, you will know I was here. You will know that I am choosing myself and that I am no longer letting others determine the outcome of my life.

I’m only twenty-two years old, but I have experienced the wrath of my twenties, and I know there is more to come. The purpose of this blog is not perfection—not right now. The purpose of this blog is to be real, and messy, and relatable. One of my biggest issues is worrying that others will think I am a vulnerable person, but in this blog, I am choosing to be vulnerable. I want to reach you and to show you that you are not crazy, or alone, or feeling something that nobody else is feeling. I want to show you that being vulnerable does not diminish your worth.

I hope you choose to follow along as I openly navigate my twenties with you. Every post will be an adventure, whether we’re ready for it or not. I’m choosing to push myself out of my comfort zone this year, and if that is all I get from this experience, how lucky that would be.

If you made it this far, thank you for reading. I called my mom, and she said she hopes you come back! So do I!