Stepping Outside My Comfort Zone Gave A Surprising Result
- Jacquline Dacres
- Aug 17, 2023
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 27, 2023
My Battle with the Worthy Pineapple
Stepping Outside My Comfort Zone Gave a Surprising Result
2023, Jacquline Dacres©
There has been a battle going on between myself and pineapples from as far back as I can remember. This is all because of the pineapple scent. That smell and I just can’t stand each other!
Everyone else in my immediate family eats pineapples. Whenever they are eating it, I excuse myself and go somewhere far away. If I don’t leave, I have this sensation in the pit of my stomach that I will vomit. It’s especially worse when they are peeling the pineapples. That smell…ugh!
Well, my sister came home last Wednesday with some pineapples already peeled and sliced. She placed the slices into one of those sealable containers and then placed the container inside the refrigerator. I ignored it as usual. Did I mention that I really dislike pineapples?
Two days later, I stumbled upon my sister eating a few slices of pineapple. When she saw me, she shoved the container in my direction.
“Have a slice,” she offered. And of course, my response was the usual, “Absolutely not. Never.”
I started to make a hasty retreat when a thought popped into my mind out of nowhere. “Take a slice,” the thought said. It continued, “Remember how you had said no to writing on Medium? But look at you now, writing many Medium articles to inspire others. All you had to do was give it a try.”
I stopped in my tracks. This speaking thought clearly knew my weak point. I felt cornered.
It was now or never; I had to make a stand and confront the dreaded pineapple once and for all.
I swiftly walked back to my sister and stated “I’ve changed my mind. Yes, I would like a piece.”
Before she could say anything and before I could change my mind, I took the container from her. I got a knife and cut a tiny slice of pineapple for myself. Holding my breath, I plopped it into my mouth. I saw my sister looking on in shock and disbelief.
I chewed slowly waiting for the feeling of nausea to wash over me. But it never came. So, I took the knife and cut another tiny slice, and slowly chewed again. And again, I was okay.
It was going to be okay. I was going to live.
To my surprise, the tiny bits of pineapple tasted much better than I had ever imagined. I was not expecting it to taste so sweet and juicy. I went ahead and tried a few more tiny pieces.
But hold on! Don’t get all excited now. Pineapples and I are not best friends — we probably won’t ever be. But the battle has ended, and I’m proud of myself for taking a chance to eat the pineapple.
Sometimes you never know what you might end up liking until you try. Many times, our preconceived ideas and reality are two vastly different things.
Lesson learned: Life is full of surprises and taking small steps out of your comfort zone can lead to some tasty discoveries! Who knows, maybe next time I will buy that pineapple-print shirt I saw at the market and disliked. After all the world is our oyster, or in this case, our pineapple!
P.S. I’ve heard that some people put pineapples on pizza. I’m not going that far to eat pineapples on pizza but who knows? At the rate at which I’m going, maybe one day I will. Are you currently eating pineapples on your pizza?
This is my first time intentionally trying to write a short-form article. I want to thank
Tom Owens: How I REALLY Feel! for encouraging me to give it a try. Sorry, Tom. I know it’s still long. 😀
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