breaking out of my comfort zone

By Sukpreet Saini

Making friends is something that some people can easily do. However, this wasn’t a skill that easily came to me.

When I was a kid, I struggled making friends and meeting new people. While some people could barely know someone and instantly become friends with them, I struggled even though I basically knew everyone up until middle school. It was hard for me to approach people and I didn’t know how to start a conversation or even maintain one.

I began to envy those with big friend groups. It was hard for me to make any friends, let alone a whole group of them. I wanted to experience hanging out with friends after school instead of going straight home every time. I would go days and even weeks without saying a word in school, feeling invisible. I remember coming back home every day feeling empty and thinking I was the problem because people never approached me.

During these times, I found comfort by being around my sister. If my sister wasn’t there for me, it would’ve been way worse for me to deal with being alone. My sister is my closest friend and although we were never in school together because she was older, she always let me know I wasn’t completely alone.

Although my sister was always there for me, I still wanted friends in school. I thought it would be
impossible for me to do so. Even after spending years like this, it wasn’t getting any easier to deal with as time went on. I wasn’t ready for a change and was scared of being ignored and rejected. The thought of putting myself out there felt overwhelming, and I often convinced myself that it was better to stay quiet and safe.

This lasted all the way up until middle school until I finally made a change. I was growing tired of the feeling of being alone and finally decided I would put myself out there. I found it hard to talk to people but I wanted a change so I forced myself out of my comfort zone. It took me a lot of courage but I was successful. 

As I began talking to more and more people, I began to realize that this wasn’t too hard of a task. I clicked with more people than I ever thought I would have and genuinely enjoyed spending time with them. When people were talking about interests that I also had, I tried to join into the conversation and relate to them. Before I knew it, I had friends I could spend hours talking with without ever getting bored.

Some of the friends I made in middle school I still talk to today. I was able to make some great friends in high school as well and I’m always happy around them. I appreciate each and every one of my friends and I’m glad they’re a part of my life. Hanging out with a friend after school is something I thought I would never get to experience but that’s changed. 

One of my favorite memories so far is spending Halloween together with my friend. We went out together during the night with matching costumes and went trick or treating together. I’ve also had the chance to go to movie theaters and malls a number of times with my friends which is always fun. Even the regular time we spend together just talking is joyful. I find it easy to be myself around my friends and I know my friends find it easy to be themselves around me as well.

Having people I know I can rely on is one of my biggest joys so far. I’m thankful for the fact that I can look back at my high school years later on in life and know that I was able to create so many memories with my friends that I’ll never forget because I stepped out of my comfort zone. I can’t wait to make even more memories with them. I also hope I can continue to put myself out there and meet even more people.

For The Warrior Times, this is Sukhpreet Saini.