Michael Dow Of Dow Creative Enterprises On How to Go Beyond Your Comfort Zone To Grow Both Personally and Professionally
An Interview with Maria Angelova
Envision yourself outside of your comfort zone with positive emotions and a bright attitude. Sometimes, seeing yourself “over there” is all you need to help you get “over there.”
It feels most comfortable to stick with what we are familiar with. But anyone who has achieved great success will tell you that true growth comes from pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. What are some ways that influential people have pushed themselves out of their comfort zone to grow both personally and professionally? As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Michael Dow, RN, MS, MHA, MSM.
Michael Stephen Dow always had a love for science and the human body so for a third career, he used his GI bill to go through nursing school and graduated in August 2020. Michael now works as a Registered Nurse at an inpatient psychiatric hospital. Books he has authored have garnered many awards including best Children’s Education Series from Independent Press Award (Nurse Florence® children’s health book series).
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we start, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?
My mom is from the French Speaking area of Canada (Quebec) and my dad is from Alabama. They met by happenstance. My dad was working a lot, so I learned French as my first language from spending so much time with my mom. I unfortunately was not very well-prepared for kindergarten for English, so my mom and I watched a lot of Sesame Street, Captain Kangaroo and Mr. Rogers to get my English up to speed. This was the first of many times in my life I was brought out of my comfort zone and had to grow. I was, at best, a mediocre student in High School and then dropped out of college because I felt I was wasting my parents’ money. I later went back and developed a laser focused attention on my studies and excelled. I like to joke that my punishment from the universe for dropping out of college and stressing my parents out was to get 5 college degrees. I was getting my second bachelor’s and planning for medical school and then the events of Sep 11, 2001 happened. I chose to change my career direction and put in an application to the US Air Force. Again, I was moved out of my comfort zone as evidenced by old friends saying that I was one of the most pacifist they knew. I served 8 years in the military. I then became a contractor with the US Army and served as a social worker for combat PTSD veterans. My GI bill was going to expire so I then applied to nursing school. This again brought me out of my comfort zone, and I went through the most difficult training I had ever been through. I now serve as an inpatient psychiatric nurse and regularly, I meet a new patient that surprises me.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
The amazing Florence Nightingale (whom the Nurse Florence® series is in homage to) said, “If none were discontented with what they have, the world would never reach anything better.” I was discontented with the health books I could find for kids so I decided I would create my own for my own kids. If the world benefits from the Nurse Florence® series, then that is a bonus.
Is there a particular book, podcast, or film that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
Beethoven’s music has made a huge impact on my life. I think he knew he was touching the divine as he was creating his music. His music brings me a lot of peace and is an important part of my self-care routine. I love that you can listen to his music and realize someone else has experienced your emotions.
Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. Let’s start with a basic definition so that all of us are on the same page. What does “getting outside of your comfort zone” mean?
Getting outside of your comfort zone means exposing yourself to new environments, new people, new ideas, new skills, new food, new cultures, and new ways of living. Getting out of your comfort zone means more than being introduced to new sensory things. It is about facing new situations where you must make new connections in your mind. Getting outside your comfort zone is what can help elevate you as a person in your journey of personal growth.
Can you help articulate a few reasons why it is important to get out of your comfort zone?
We need to learn new skills throughout life. When you have your first child, you are brought outside your comfort zone and must practice parenting skills from information you received by watching your parents, reading books, attending workshops, and talking to friends. Because parents went through parenting, they are now in a position to share their successes and failures with their kids when they become grandparents. Getting out of your comfort zone helps people help each reach greater heights. The more knowledge, skills, and abilities you have, the more opportunities can be presented to you.
Is it possible to grow without leaving your comfort zone? Can you explain what you mean?
Yes, books. The amazing thing about books is that they let you escape into another world. This other world could be viewing life from a different perspective or way of doing things. Seeing something done in a different way may be all that is needed for someone to try something new and gently expand their comfort zone instead of jumping out of it.
Can you share some anecdotes from your personal experience? Can you share a story about a time when you stepped out of your comfort zone and how it helped you grow? How does it feel to take those first difficult steps?
I’ve already mentioned some examples in the introduction section, so I’d like to focus on the other questions. The growth that came from each stepping out my comfort zone helped me become the person I am today. A person carries with them all of the knowledge, skills, and abilities that they acquire with each step which prepares them for the next step. With each step in life, I grew in my ability to understand things, to manage things, to lead people, to instruct others, to prepare for the future, and to be content in the present. Someone once said, “When you start over, you’re not starting from scratch.” I love that since most of us experience failures and disappointment and realizing that each new step we take, we are carrying our past selves with us which helps us be our better self in the moment.
Here is the central question of our discussion. What are your “five ways to push past your comfort zone, to grow both personally and professionally”?
A first way to push past your comfort zone is to talk with someone that has done the thing you want to do. Someone once said, “To help grow as person, surround yourself with people that are better than you so they can help elevate you.” This step to grow may involve getting outside of your comfort zone since you must make friends with others. That’s ok since we were all strangers at some point. Since talking to others also involves listening, reading books applies to this step. Reading about new places, new worlds, new ideas, new ways of living is a safe thing for you to do since you can do this in your favorite chair at home. Reading a good book is a great way for most of us with limited funds and resources.
A second way to push past your comfort zone is to start the journey with some basic coping skills like deep breathing and mindfulness if moving out of your comfort zone causes anxiety. A great resource for learning mindfulness is with Jon Kabat-Zinn interviewed by NPR at: https://www.npr.org/2021/12/21/1066585316/mindfulness-meditation-with-john-kabat-zinn. In nursing school, my teachers taught us to take a moment before walking into the patient room, taking a deep breath, recentering yourself, then proceed with the task you had to do. I regularly practice this at the hospital.
A third way to push past your comfort zone is get out of your comfort zone with a friend. Having another person there to support you can be instrumental for your success. When I decided to start interviewing people to help illustrate for my new company for the Nurse Florence® series, my wife was there supporting me and giving me advice. Like the saying goes, “Behind every good man is a great woman.”
A fourth way to push past your comfort zone is be an observer to your intrusive thoughts and try not to fight them. If you push past your comfort zone and experience fear, let it go through your mind and pass so you can experience other emotions that will happen with the new experience. This is a skill and takes practice in many different situations. Also, different thoughts and emotions may be harder than others to let just pass, but with time, we can learn the skill.
A fifth way to push past your comfort zone which will help you grow personally and professionally is to realize stepping out of your comfort zone is not always about success or failure. Sometimes, the stepping out just creates new experiences and that’s all you may have needed to truly succeed in the future. From one perspective, I have failed at different things in life, but from another perspective, I have just had a variety of experiences that have helped me be fruitful in the present.
I’d like to suggest a sixth way to push past your comfort zone which is guided imagery. Envision yourself outside of your comfort zone with positive emotions and a bright attitude. Sometimes, seeing yourself “over there” is all you need to help you get “over there.”
From your experience or perspective, what are some of the common barriers that keep someone from pushing out of their comfort zone?
In my opinion, one of the most common reasons for not getting out of a comfort zone is anxiety and fear. Maybe people could see those emotions, at times, as a game or obstacle that you must overcome or climb over. Resources is another obstacle that may keep people in their comfort zone. If you have limited finances, going to the library and reading a book to transport your mind to another world might be a great option. Another common barrier is not knowing about a resource to help you get out of your comfort zone. A wise person once said, “You have not, because you ask not.” Ask the internet to give you information about resources for your next adventure outside of your comfort zone.
There is a well-known quote attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt that says, “Do something that scares you every day”. What exactly does this mean to you? Is there inherent value in doing something that pushes you out of your comfort zone, even if it does not relate to personal or professional growth? For example, if one is uncomfortable about walking alone at night should they purposely push themselves to do it often for the sake of going beyond their comfort zone? Can you please explain what you mean?
I’m sorry, but I’m not a fan of that quote (but am a fan of that person). I don’t think we have to be scared everyday to grow. There is inherent value, though, to be purposefully pushed out of your comfort zone. The universe has done that to me many times, sometimes it was harder to adapt than others. The Air Force has a saying of “Safety First.” Advice to live by and teach your children.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
I hope that the Nurse Florence® series will inspire a movement of global health promotion and literacy. It has already started with many book awards, many great reviews, translation into multiple languages, and many parents happy with the engaging and insightful text.
Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have lunch with, and why? Maybe we can tag them and see what happens!
Patty Jenkins, Director of Wonder Woman
How can our readers follow you online?
Please visit www.DowCreativeEnterprises.com for our latest projects and stayed tuned for an upcoming Kickstarter campaign to help fund our new project which will be about mental health for kids.
Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!
About The Interviewer: Maria Angelova, MBA is a disruptor, author, motivational speaker, body-mind expert, Pilates teacher and founder and CEO of Rebellious Intl. As a disruptor, Maria is on a mission to change the face of the wellness industry by shifting the self-care mindset for consumers and providers alike. As a mind-body coach, Maria’s superpower is alignment which helps clients create a strong body and a calm mind so they can live a life of freedom, happiness and fulfillment. Prior to founding Rebellious Intl, Maria was a Finance Director and a professional with 17+ years of progressive corporate experience in the Telecommunications, Finance, and Insurance industries. Born in Bulgaria, Maria moved to the United States in 1992. She graduated summa cum laude from both Georgia State University (MBA, Finance) and the University of Georgia (BBA, Finance). Maria’s favorite job is being a mom. Maria enjoys learning, coaching, creating authentic connections, working out, Latin dancing, traveling, and spending time with her tribe. To contact Maria, email her at angelova@rebellious-intl.com. To schedule a free consultation, click here.
Michael Dow Of Dow Creative Enterprises On How to Go Beyond Your Comfort Zone To Grow Both… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.