Nobody wants to be embarrassed and many people, such as me, don't like to go out of their way to potentially be embarrassed. We think "why would I purposefully go and put myself in a situation where I'm uncomfortable? Or where I people could think of me in a negative way?". The problem with this mindset is that in reality, embarrassment is on of the keys to growth. Without the fear of being embarrassed, one will never escape their comfort zone and in return, never experience new things!
A swing that we stopped at on the way over.
The photo at the top of this page, along with the rest, were taken on a recent trip I went on with my friends to the Yuba River. Many of the people in this photo I had not met prior to the trip, they were all friends of one girl that my friends and I knew. From what we had gathered, this trip was their annual event that they had been doing for years. For this reason, when our friend invited us on this adventure, my friends and I were hesitant. We were hesitant because we were afraid that the regulars would think we were crashing their plans. We decided that since this was our last time together before people move away, we should just do it. That one hesitation almost caused us to miss out on an amazing and fulfilling trip where we got to meet so many new people and make unique memories. For me, experiences like this (meeting new friends, seeing new places) are often what keep me excited about life and are necessary for my overall growth and happiness.
Around the campfire, making homemade tortillas for tacos and singing songs
Not only this, but soon after getting there we realized that if people are worth making friends with, they aren't going to have the type of mindset that we were so afraid of. Every person on this trip welcomed us with open arms, making us food, showing us the good swim spots, and playing music around the fire as one big group. If you ever have fears of getting a negative reaction from someone for merely just trying to be friends, just know that on the off chance that you do get that negative reaction, you probably don't want them in your life anyways.
Hi Jojo, thanks for sharing. I loved reading your post! All the pictures you included were so cute and they made me feel like I was on the hike with you. I really related to the topic of your blog. I like how you talked about going out of your comfort zone. This is something I too have been trying to do more and also have been encouraging friends to do so as well. So, I find it so admirable you speak so highly of it and so casually. I totally agree that we should not feel scared or embarrassed, everyone should be more comfortable trying new things. Great job! - Delaney Meehan
ReplyDeleteI get very anxious talking to new people. I transferred here at SDSU this fall and have been overwhelmed with the amount of people here. I have yet to meet anyone new here. Going up to a random person can be embarrassing because you never know how they may react. You are so right though, I need to escape my comfort zone. Embarrassment is key to growth. I have many embossment this week since I still have no idea where things are on campus so I was just going in circles. Through these embarrassing moments, I had to interact with people to help guide me in the right direction. I can truthfully say it is funny now.
ReplyDeleteHi again Jojo, your blog is really fun and nice to read. Your pictures are amazing! Can I ask what camera you used for these? I've been seriously lacking on my documentation game.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate you admitting your fears and hesitations. I'm so glad you didn't buy into them, because this seems like it was a great trip. I think you're right about not fearing a negative reaction from new people. From the other side of this perspective, I know that I've given off a potentially bad vibe before because I was deathly afraid of making new friends. It was unintentional and rooted in fear, and that fear stopped me from discovering great things. Now I'm in a healthier and happier place and those fears don't bother me anymore. It's all about meeting people where they're at and being kind regardless. Great post!
Hey Jojo, I thought this post was great. I too find it hard to put myself in moments that could be potentially embarrassing but your blog shows what pushing yourself can do. Usually you'll make great memories and even meet some really cool people. I wonder where that feeling comes from at first where people are afraid of being embarrassed if it usually ends up good in the end. Maybe the uncertainty of what could happen? I just find it interesting how things that usually seem out of your comfort zone are the places where you make the best memories.
ReplyDelete