It's very easy to go through life trying hard to please everyone and being worried about what people think of you. I admit that I spent a long time doing that but slowly I'm learning to break the habit of a lifetime and try to do something brave at every opportunity I get.
Something Brave
I'm taking inspiration from Felicity, the star of my latest novella, Something Brave. She journeys from boring mundanity to sexy submission by doing something brave, saying yes to a compelling stranger. Now, that might not work for you but here are my tips for breaking out of your comfort zone.
Find your Passion.
What do you love so very much that you can talk for hours and hours, weeks and weeks on the topic without losing enthusiasm? That is your passion and once you find it, follow it with all your heart. You might be lucky to have more than one, so indulge them all. The things in life you love to do make each day worth living.
I've always loved reading and writing and when I discovered erotica I found my passion, well, if I hadn't it wouldn't be very good erotica would it? My husband encouraged me to write my very first sexy story and I've not looked back since. It's not always been easy. I'm a Christian and for the longest time I hid my writing from my church and when it finally came out I was pushed out of that community. It was heart breaking.
I'm glad to say I now attend a church that embraces me and my erotica writing. I'm loud and proud and everyone knows what I do. Yes, I still get a few negative responses when I tell them I pen fun and filthy tales but most people are really enthusiastic and positive. I'm a lot happier now I'm not hiding my passion under a bushel!
Take That Risk.
It's very easy to keep doing what you've always done before without thinking about changing. A comfort zone is a happy place to be and we all spend huge chunks of our lives creating our comfort zones to make us feel safe and secure. There's nothing wrong with that at all but it's not meant to be the place you stay always and ever.
Breaking out of your comfort zone is challenging and sometimes downright scary but you can do it if you remember that you've got somewhere safe to go back to. Doing something challenging will be very rewarding. New experiences are what make the memories of the future. Start small, try a new dish at your favourite restaurant, take up that dance class you've always fancied trying or buy yourself that hat/skirt/dress/multi-coloured pair of trousers you've always admired but thought were too loud for you and go from there.
Felicity in my latest release Something Brave takes a step out of the ordinary by attending a Burlesque fair to sell her jewellery. Through doing that one brave act she has the confidence to take the more courageous step of agreeing to become a submissive to a man she barely knows and that changes her life forever.
Stop Making Excuses.
This might be the very hardest thing to do. It's easy to come up with a list of very good reasons to not do something out of the ordinary. It's simple but limiting.
Instead of making excuses be truthful. If you don't want to do something - why not? If the reasons you come up with aren't to do with protecting your health (mental and physical), or that of someone else, then maybe you're making an excuse just because you're scared.
Instead of backing down have a go at something new. What's the worst that can happen? It's said that the worst regrets are those pertaining to actions we didn't take. Go out today and say yes to something new, step out of the usual and embrace adventure.
Blurb for Something Brave :
Blushing, shy Felicity does something incredibly brave and submits to a man she only knows as Sir, but will his demands push her beyond her limits?
Felicity attends the local burlesque fair just to sell her Quietly Cute jewelry. A handsome stranger offers to spank her, and she surprises herself by submitting. Sir makes her choose the implement he will use to take her spanking virginity-and uses it to great effect.
She finds herself becoming the sexy, self-made billionaire's sub who is punished with bondage, forced into exhibitionism, hot wax and other delicious tortures. Felicity submits willingly, getting braver with every interaction. But when Samuel offers her the means to establish her business and pulls her out of the poverty she lives in, she snaps, seeing it as an insult to her pride and possibly even a payment for her sexual services.
Can Samuel convince her otherwise, or will she walk out of his life forever?
About Victoria Blisse:
Victoria Blisse is a mother, wife, Christian, Manchester United fan and award winning erotica author. She is also the editor of several Bigger Briefs collections, and the co-editor of the fabulous Smut Alfresco and Smut in the City and Smut by the Sea Anthologies.
She is equally at home behind a laptop or a cooker (She is TEB's resident "Naked Chef") and she loves to create stories, poems, cakes and biscuits that make people happy. She was born near Manchester, England and her northern English quirkiness shows through in all of her stories.
Passion, love and laughter fill her works, just as they fill her busy life.