Go Beyond

The other half and I have been geocaching for six years now.

But it wasn’t until recently that we found a greater community of geocachers. We had a couple of friends that cached (in fact, one of them GOT us into geocaching). But when it came to actually meeting the people who were hiding the caches we were finding, we didn’t really take the opportunity. There were events we could attend, those little lunches and coffee times and picnics where geocachers gathered together to tell stories and share tips and advice.

But being the introvert that I am and having the issues with social situations that I sometimes have, I have trouble making small talk at times and think nobody will like me. I chicken out of doing things because I get anxious about finding common ground with complete strangers. And past experiences tell me that not everyone finds my quirkiness endearing. I have been teased. I have been told to go away. I have been shut out. And those memories stick with me even when I try not to dwell on them.

But this past year, I made a resolve with the other half that I would step a bit more out of my comfort zone and attend as many of the geocaching events that were scheduled as I could, with or without him (seeing as he’s a big social butterfly even as he’s a couch potato!). And with each event I have attended since October…. I have learned to widen that comfort zone within which I live. With each outing, I gain a bit more confidence. And guess what? I have found a greater community of geocachers who are friendly, wonderful and willing to help out with the hobby I have come to embrace. I have found a community that, for the most part, don’t blink when I pull out the Squisheys for a photo opportunity or randomly eat a hamburger in a restaurant deconstructed. Most of my subscribers on my YouTube channel (which has become a mix of book trailer videos and then geocaching adventures) are those that I have met via this wild and crazy adventure. And I have become a better person as a result of the fact that I have plugged into another community that embraces people for who they are and what they can contribute to the whole.

I have grown.

Fear kept me from growing. Fear of past experiences. Fear of being told I need to “be like this” or “don’t act like that.” Fear that I would be rejected before I had a chance to even get my foot in the door.

But we all hold a little fear.

We all need to learn to go beyond that comfort zone. We need to find a way to shed our apathy. We need to learn to deal with the blockages that hold us captive and not let us learn what our stories could be.

Magic needs muscle sometimes to grow, and to make that muscle, we must force ourselves out of that little box we put ourselves in. It needs us to let go of our fears and whatever is weighing us down so that we can reach the full potential of our story. We need to pushback against the “maybes” and “what ifs” and see that there are full communities willing to embrace us for what we are and what we can become.

So whether that’s going to a random geocaching event, joining a choir, creating a group of hikers, attending a Pride event, or writing a note to someone you don’t know. It could be something as simple as paying a stranger a compliment or shining and sparkling even when others around you are rain clouds. Find a way to break out of the comfort zone that holds you fast.

Go beyond. You never know what you will find.

And to the friends in geocaching that will read this…. thanks for accepting this crazy lady who marches to the beat of her own drum and is learning to shine in a world that wants magic to dim. Will I always step out of my box…. probably not. But I am learning that box can grow if I just learn to go beyond!

Stay magical, friends.

Write your own story

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