Grow beyond your comfort with courage

I still remember my first skydiving jump in 2015—standing at the plane’s open door, wind roaring, stomach churning. I’d planned it as my year of “Afraid? Do it anyway.” When I climbed out and leaned forward, I genuinely forgot how to breathe.

In that free fall, I learned a powerful truth: courage isn’t the absence of fear, but the decision to act despite it. As I floated down, the vast landscape below looked peaceful. I realized that fear had been holding me back from so many leaps—writing my first book, saying yes to big stages.

Neuroscientists tell us that stretching our comfort zones rewires our brains for resilience. That 45-second free fall felt eternal but fundamentally changed how I approach new challenges.

Now I schedule weekly “go-for-it” moments—a spontaneous Instagram Live or a podcast pitch. Each quick jump reminds me that growth lives on the other side of fear.

Your fear is a signal, not a stop sign. Tonight, pick one small stretch—speaking up, sending that proposal, trying a new hobby—and block it as a must-do. Do it tomorrow, no excuses. Feel the rush and grow again.