I went on a Catholic women’s retreat this weekend that took me way out of my comfort zone.

I am glad I went. I am still not entirely sure why God wanted me there. I certainly gained something in the way of community, and had some things reinforced about what my spiritual gifts are. So that was worth it.

Still, the style, the pacing, the whole vibe of things wasn’t me at all. I knew it likely wouldn’t be, and I knew that given my personal background, I wasn’t necessarily the kind of person the retreat was geared for.

I went anyway, because I felt God was asking me to go. It was a good experience of learning to embrace discomfort.

This enters into fiction as well. No story worth reading doesn’t entail a character either jumping or being pushed out of his or her comfort zone.

That’s where story happens. It’s where growth happens. It’s where adventure, life, love, friendship, (healthy) risk, and gain happen. It’s where we lose the things that are holding us back.

Even a small step outside the comfort zone can reap great rewards!