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COURAGE ZONE EXAMPLE

Johnny Appleman 5-J

October 1, 2009

Decision Education

Courage Zone

I moved into my Courage Zone this fall when I decided to join the Photography Club. This all came about when my parents gave me a new camera for my birthday last month. I was excited about getting the camera but I had a hard time figuring out how to adjust the settings. I tried to read the manual but it was way too complicated. So I decided to ask my mom to sign me up for the Photography Club so that I could learn more about my new camera.

On the first day of the Photography Club I got to meet the other boys and the photography teacher. We sat in a circle and the teacher asked each boy to introduce themselves and why they joined the club. This was my chance to move into my Courage Zone and let everyone know I needed help with my camera. As the other boys were sharing I realized they knew a lot more about photography than I did. I wondered if I would embarrass myself if I told everyone how little I knew about my camera. I started to feel uneasy and I knew I had a decision to make. Should I introduce myself and not say anything about my new camera? Or should I tell them I was a beginner and needed some help? I knew if I failed to share why I joined the club there was a possibility I may not learn about the features of my camera. I thought about why I joined the club in the first place and decided that it was worth the risk. After all the most important thing was to figure out how to use my camera. The worst thing that could happen would be the other boys would laugh, or think I wasn't too smart. But I figured if the other boys laughed or made fun of me, the teacher would stick up for me and it would be their problem, not mine.

So I decided to show the boys and the teacher my new camera and explain why I joined the club. The decision to stretch into my Courage Zone turned out to be a great move! One of the boys knew a lot about the camera features and he was eager to show me how it worked. The teacher said she knew about the camera too and there would be plenty of time for me to learn all about the camera. I felt a great sense of relief and I became even more interested in learning about my camera. Not only did I learn about my camera, but I also learned it can be worth it to stretch into my Courage Zone when there is something I really want to do.