If you think you know who you are, do something unexpected. Trust me, you’ll be surprised.

Let yourself try something new; feel free to act out of character, even if only for an afternoon. Do something you never thought you would and see what kind of person comes back.

Not to sound too much like a cliche, but I guess there is some truth in that whole ‘leaving your comfort zone’ thing.

Which is so annoying, because I hate that.

Don’t you just hate it when the cliches and advice people have told you all your life turn out to be true? Going outside, drinking water, and escaping your comfort zone are all great ways to feel better, and I’m being reminded of that constantly as I grow.

I mean, I love my comfort zone – that’s the whole point of it after all – and will rarely do anything new.

Even the events, occasions, and one-off opportunities in my life have a similar pattern, and I love that. I feel like I know who I am, what I like and how I should behave and I’ve managed to build a wonderful life around these patterns.

But sometimes you do need to let yourself go; to go a little bit mad and act out of character to see who you really are underneath. This is where you’ll do some real learning. And if you’ve been here before, you know that’s what I’m all about.

I thought I was figuring myself out alright through my quiet hobbies and actions, but I guess part of me needs something louder, bolder, to act out.

That’s what breaking character, or ‘losing yourself’, is all about.

Even if you don’t find anything worth keeping, it’s fun to experiment with you who are.

Sure, it’s also scary and weird, but there’s no denying it’s incredibly fun to become someone else for a little while.

It is important to point out that if you are going to do this, be wild and break your own rules, it’s good to do it with a trusted person. Or at least ensure you’re in a safe environment where consequences will not ruin your daily life once you return.

Go to a different city, meet up with the party friends, wear some weird clothes – whatever it is, be bold and just go with the feelings of the moment.

This is why it’s important to be with a safe person or have a safe backup for when you’ve returned. We’re not thinking here, we’re not analysing what we’re doing until later.

We’re just going with it and acting like someone outside of ourselves for a little bit.

Losing yourself in a new activity or place is a great way to remind yourself that there is way more to life than what you know. Because there is always more out there for us than we think, and sometimes we need a reminder that we don’t know ourselves as well as we thought.

Whether it’s a big or small action, try to act out of character when the occasion arises. I reckon you’ll be surprised and learn a lot of good things from it.

I, for one, am excited to see what else is out there.

Speak soon,

Rachael.

Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash