When I was about five years old, I remember going to my first-ever hockey game with my dad. Unbeknownst to my toddling self, the team picked out two young kids from the crowd to take a ride on the Zamboni, a machine that smooths the surface of ice rinks, during intermissions. When my dad and I arrived at ice level, where the Zambonis were parked, I was taken aback.
The Zamboni loomed about three young Jonathans tall; a height that I hadn’t been accustomed to at the time. It looked ominous. I was scared that I would fall off and cut my head open like I had done falling off a chair one year earlier, despite the fact that there was a strap to hold young passengers in.
Too timid to accept the invitation, I chose not to take the ride. A few years later when I went to another game, I couldn’t believe that I had said no; I mean, how many people have gotten the chance to ride on a Zamboni?
Getting out of your comfort zone is hard. You hear the phrase quite often when you get to college. You’re no longer under the care of your parents, you have the freedom to make your own life and you’re surrounded by thousands of other people, most of which you’ve never met before.
Often, the urge nowadays is to be surrounded in a familiar environment. It’s where we most confidently know that we can thrive. Changes in our world leave us yearning for what we were used to, whether that’s living with your family, not having to worry as much about your future, or wondering if any restaurants near Bradley’s campus are open past 10 p.m. anymore (hint: not many).
Apprehensive feelings still exist in me, even as a senior in college. Although I’d take a ride around an ice rink in an instant now, different things bring about the feeling of fright. I do love haunted houses, but helping run a newspaper that’s been around for 124 years after I haven’t had any experience taking charge of an organization? That scares me.
So did hearing the words “You’re live” in my headset during my first television broadcast of a Bradley Athletics event gave me a pit in my stomach. If you’re like me, you might doubt if you’re good enough when being thrown into a foreign circumstance.
It’s easier to slip under the covers of your bed, go on your phone and distance yourself from the changes in life, but it’s hard to make progress doing that. To be the best that you can be requires progress, and progress requires taking a leap of faith.
Some leaps may be small and that is perfectly acceptable. A phrase that’s entered some people’s vocabulary more frequently nowadays is to “get better by one percent every day.” After a period of time, there’s a great chance that you’ve made strides, whether that’s in your classes, your future career, your wellbeing or your social circle.
It may not be noticeable, but you may catch yourself going so far out of your comfort zone that your freshman self wouldn’t even recognize you. There’s over 200 clubs and organizations at Bradley, so take a chance at a few of them to see if you’re interested. Maybe you’ll join The Scout, which I can attest to is lots of fun and provides great experience to put on your resumé.
Progress isn’t always made by continuing to do the same things over and over; it happens when you surround yourself with people, classes, places, situations, clubs/groups and experiences that are all brand new. If you’re a first-year student, I’m sure this past week has been the first time for a lot of things.
College is an extremely unique part of your life. Use that time to make progress, take a few chances and bet on yourself. When you do, you’ll find that nothing will faze you.
