Growth experiences—those journeys into the difficult and unfamiliar—are often challenging and sometimes painful. This is why many people choose to avoid them—they prefer to stay within the friendly confines of their “comfort zone.”

Author, Mandy Hale put it this way: “To make a difference in someone’s life, you do not have to be brilliant, rich, beautiful, or perfect.

I was watching an interesting travel program recently. At the end of the show, the host said, “If you want to get the most out of your travels, remember to keep an open mind and enjoy the scenery.”

For the past ten or so years, I have been watching a television program that features three successful restaurants during each show.

Brightening other people’s days often involves gestures of kindness like smiling or saying something positive to them. This makes them feel good and puts them in a positive frame of mind. But, if you really want to make the most out of brightening someone’s day, it’s important that your gestures of kindness don’t come across as a monologue; where you smile, say something positive and then move on.

Legendary baseball player, Babe Ruth, struck out 1,330 times during his Major League career, but he’s not remembered for that.

Over the years, I have been asked the following question many times: “What are some meaningful things I can do to that will enable me to step out of my comfort zone and expand my horizons?”

Eric Weiner, a former NPR correspondent and author, travelled to a number of countries including Denmark, the Netherlands and Switzerland which were ranked high on happiness by the World Database of Happiness.

Bestselling author, Harvey Mackay, wrote an excellent column dealing with risk taking and regret. According to Mr. Mackay, people rarely regret taking risks; what they do regret is not taking them sooner or not taking them at all. He goes on to say, “Afraid to try something new?