207687_Ruritan_Newsletter

Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone

2025 NATIONAL PRESIDENT REBECCA LANE

Before the 2024 Summer Leadership conference began, some people were forced to go outside their comfort zone as nametags were placed at individual seats and attendees were asked to find their nametag and sit at the assigned seat, separating them from their friends. Guess what, everyone survived! I shared a story at the conference about stepping outside my comfort zone and several attendees came up later and asked how it was accomplished. Here is my story.

I am one of four children - my oldest sister, the brains, my other sister, the beauty (and adventurous one), and my brother, the only boy and athletic, so the brawn. So, we have the brains, beauty and brawn and then there is me. I was able to hide behind my siblings as they all had at least one outstanding quality. I didn’t have to leave my comfort zone; I had siblings to do that. When I was 19 or 20, one of my roommates decided she wanted to learn to parachute. I jumped at the chance because my adventurous sister had not done that, and I could finally beat her at something. Don’t get me wrong, if there hadn’t been a really cute guy on the plane also jumping, I would have backed out. The jump was exhilarating but I wasn’t doing it for myself, I was doing it to beat my sister (and to catch the eye of the cute guy). When I let my family know what I had done, I found out my sister had already parachuted from a plane, I was deflated. But looking back at that jump, I realize that my passion for beating my sister allowed me to briefly go outside my comfort zone. A few years later I married a wonderful man. He allowed me to literally and figuratively hide behind him. He was the powerhouse, everyone knew him. I was his shadow. And it worked well for us. I stayed in the background where I was most comfortable. After almost 24 years, he unexpectedly passed away. I sold his law firm to the firm I started with in the beginning of my career and continued doing the same thing I was familiar with. After a year, circumstances changed, and I left the work force. My husband knew I wanted to go to the Amazon, and he looked for ways to get us there but unfortunately, with him confined to a wheelchair (he was a paraplegic) the trip was not something we could do together. So, for what would have been our 25 th wedding anniversary I decided I would go to the Amazon to honor him. This was my biggest aha moment. I flew by myself to Peru where I met up with the National Geographic representative. It was a fantastic trip, and I didn’t want it to end. But most importantly, I learned I could push myself out of my comfort zone for something I truly wanted to do. I later was asked to join the Ruritans. I did because I enjoyed the fellowship and the service we were able to provide for the community. While I was president, I attended zone meetings and became friends with the zone governor. She asked me to become her lieutenant the following year. With a zone position I started attending the District meetings. A few years later I was asked to step up to Lt. District Governor. This took quite a bit of persuading as this was again outside my comfort zone. The club and zone were small but the District? Yikes!! In the end I accepted the position as I had support from my Ruritan family, who believed in me, even if I didn’t believe in myself. I grew more confident in my abilities and my comfort zone increased. At the urging of several of my Ruritan family members I ran for National Director, forcing myself again outside my comfort zone. With each meeting I attended, I became more comfortable.

3