Stepping Out Boldly
Stepping out of your comfort zone is a powerful way to grow as a person. Whether it’s persuading yourself to embrace challenges, confronting long-avoided inner turmoil through hypnotherapy, or tackling something that once seemed unimaginable—each step forward fosters personal transformation.
A few weeks ago, I mentioned that I was preparing to do something scary, something far outside my comfort zone. I’m happy to report that I followed through. I stepped boldly into the unknown by performing both a solo and a group dance at the 2025 Samba Queen competition. This event was a fundraiser for Samba Fogo, a dance company dedicated to bringing the art form of Samba and drumming to children and adults through educational outreach in schools and the community.
Many of you may not know that I have had a deep passion for dance since childhood. I vividly remember choreographing routines to my sister’s piano music as she practiced. Any opportunity to move to music, I seized. Thankfully, my parents nurtured this love, shuttling me to countless dance lessons and rehearsals over the years. I even pursued a professional path in dance, moving to Utah to study in the ballet department at the University of Utah. Unfortunately, a foot injury derailed my professional aspirations, but it never diminished my love for dance. Over the years, I have taken modern, ballet, jazz, ballroom, swing, and African dance classes, grateful to live in a community that offers so many opportunities for adults to keep dancing.
In 2019, after years of gentle nudging from friends, I finally enrolled in Samba dance classes with Lorin Hansen of Samba Fogo. The Afro-Brazilian dance forms felt somewhat familiar, and I embraced them with confidence. However, Samba itself was another story—it was unlike anything I had attempted before. I had always been able to pick up dance steps quickly, but Samba challenged me in ways I hadn’t experienced in years. It was hard! But I stuck with it, even practicing to classic rock while cooking dinner, determined to get the hang of it.
Each year, I watched my friends compete in the Samba Queen contest. I cheered them on, always assuming that stepping into the spotlight wasn’t something I needed to do. Deep down, though, I knew I was avoiding it out of fear. I convinced myself I didn’t need external validation, but the truth was, I couldn’t fathom putting on the dazzling costume, slipping into high heels, and performing in front of an audience and judges. EEK! Every year, I breathed a sigh of relief when I had valid excuses to sit it out. A broken ankle two years ago. My Hypnotherapy final exam last year. But this year, I had no more excuses.
In December, a group of friends invited me to join them in a group dance at Samba Queen. Without hesitation, I said yes. Performing in a group felt fun and manageable. But as I prepared, I realized it wasn’t pushing me far enough. It wasn’t truly outside my comfort zone. In honor of my commitment to growth, I decided to take on the ultimate challenge: a semi-pro solo performance.
At first, the thought terrified me. I immediately signed up for private lessons, desperate to avoid making a fool of myself. As the competition approached, the stress mounted. I practiced relentlessly, visualizing myself on stage, feeling the weight of performing in high heels. Sleep became restless, as my mind rehearsed my routine in the middle of the night. Choosing a costume felt overwhelming—especially knowing that my midlife weight gain, something I’d grown used to concealing, would be on full display. Then there was the makeup. I hadn’t worn makeup in years and had no idea how to apply it properly. Every aspect of this experience felt foreign, uncomfortable, and nerve-wracking. But my stubbornness worked in my favor—I had committed, and I wasn’t about to back out now.
A classmate added fuel to my determination when she casually suggested that Samba Queen was really hard and implied that I might not be able to do it. Challenge accepted. Game on. From that moment, I was all in, full steam ahead toward my destination: center stage in front of a live audience.
As the event drew near, an unexpected sense of calm washed over me. Perhaps it was the week I spent recovering from COVID two weeks prior—realizing that I had done everything I could and that the outcome was beyond my control. I surrendered to the experience, focusing on my best effort rather than perfection. A friend shared a mindset trick that became my mantra: whenever I felt nervous, I told myself I was excited. Excited to share my love of dance. Excited to bring joy to the audience. Excited to support my Samba Fogo community. I repeated this to myself, visualized my enthusiasm, and embraced the emotional rollercoaster with positivity.
When the moment finally arrived, nerves surged through me, but I was ready. Stepping onto the stage, my adrenaline kicked in. My high heels wobbled slightly, but I pushed through, determined to let my love of dance shine through. Perhaps the audience couldn’t see it, but inside, I was having the time of my life. When the performance ended, I walked off the stage feeling victorious. I had done it. I had faced my fear, and on the other side, I found exhilaration and joy.
To my surprise, I tied for third place with my good friend. We had to do a dance-off, so back on stage I went once again. In the end, my friend prevailed, but for me, it felt like a victory. I had conquered my fear and overcome my self-doubt. I didn’t dance perfectly. But I didn’t fall. I didn’t run away. I stepped out, I was seen, and I embraced the moment. Putting myself out there took courage—but in doing so, I discovered an even deeper love and respect for myself and a renewed belief that I can do hard things.
I would love to hear about your triumphs! What have you done lately to step out of your comfort zone? How has stepping out of your comfort zone improved your life?
2025 is just getting started! Where in your life do you want to step out boldly?
Need help or feeling stuck? Feel free to reach out for a free Hypnotherapy consultation.
