Getting out of my comfort zone

Creating peace and justice begins with me. I must move out of my comfort zone into an area where I know I would like to be, but have difficulty getting there. It's not life-threatening, just scary.

So how do I make the move? First, I decide on a goal. Say it's to attend two peace and justice activities in my community each month. Then I have to implement the goal by looking for those activities, figuring out where they are and how to get there, and then following through by attending and participating.

A great resource in southeastern Virginia is Hampton Roads Network for Nonviolence (HRNN). To get on their recipient list for bimonthly announcements of events in the area, just post a reply to this blog and say, "Add my address to your list."

Another thing I can do is invite someone to go with me. That doubles my effort and gives me someone to talk to on the way there and back. But when I get there, I have to make the effort to talk to people I don't know. It's too easy, and a cop-out, to just hang out with people I know and not make new connections. It is the new connections that create peace and justice, and enable us to grow beyond our own small universe.