Yesterday I had to put some effort into getting myself to go to a Meetup. Staying home, comfortable, watching YouTube videos, or playing video game hockey sounded like a good night to me. I thought to myself, staying home isn’t exploring Seattle like I said I would. Staying comfortable at home doesn’t expand your comfort zone. I’d planned my day around going, cleaned up after work and got my dog situated for the time I’d be out, and still wanted to stay home. I thought again, I’ve put on my shoes and am at the door, and still don’t want to go? It made me think about something I’d heard on a podcast of someone who struggled to get up in the morning to exercise and how he would get himself to go. I decided to go for a walk.

Thirty minutes later, I was still walking and wanting to go home.  Walking in the door, I still wanted to turn around; until I said hello to the first person there. As I started shaking the rust off talking with a few people, someone brought up that they were thinking of staying home as well. It was what I needed to hear to wake myself up to the fact that I enjoy meeting people and encouraging shy and self-conscious people to feel comfortable being themselves at social events like this. Dragging myself out became a night of making new friends and singing karaoke.

I would’ve been happy either way last night. Home and comfortable, or out moving closer to meeting someone in this city and making new friends- being the change I wanted to see in myself.  Keeping in mind that I needed to show up to make new friends and put effort into finding people I want to meet.