Could You Even Imagine…

You're talented, you've been on stage plenty, but you're unexpectedly invited onto the biggest stage of your life...now what?

Picture this: You're sitting next to your mother in the audience of one of your favorite shows. What an experience, right? You're probably thinking this is a nice mother-daughter bonding moment. You admire those who are up on the stage. Mom gets up to use the restroom, and a brief moment later, she appears on stage!

At first, you think she might be auditioning—maybe Mom's got some secret talent she's been hiding all these years? But as soon as she starts speaking, you realize she's calling YOU out. By name. In front of everyone. On national television.

Suddenly, the audience is astonishingly loud, the lights are blazingly bright and hot, and you've got a choice to make: go up there or decline. Your fight-or-flight response is sending wicked shivers throughout your body that nobody can see; your palms are sweating, and somewhere in your brain, a voice is screaming, "This was NOT in the Sunday plans!"

What do you do?

If you haven't seen it, this actually happened on America's Got Talent - Video of the moment here. Anna Wilson rose to the occasion and is now moving to the next round. I watched this last night, and it gave me goosebumps because it's rare to witness someone continue forward who was so violently thrown against the edge of their comfort zone.

Now, granted, we don't know what went on behind the scenes (no offense, AGT) because Hollywood often tends to use these moments to hook viewers like Batman’s grappling bat. But it was incredible nonetheless—watching someone make that split-second decision to lead their own dance with the unknown instead of letting fear guide them right back to their seat.

We've All Been There (Just Maybe Not on TV)

Believe it or not, everyone experiences this type of situation at some point in their life. Sure, it may not be worthy of national television coverage, but we've all had that moment when life pushed us by the small of our back and said, "You're up!"

For some, it's hearing your name called for an award at a work function, knowing you have to go up and accept it—and oh, by the way, you're expected to say something coherent to the crowd. Your brain immediately goes blank, and you start wondering if a quick"thanks" will suffice.

For others, you might recall how it felt like a tsunami of panic when it was your turn to read your paper out loud in school. Remember that? The teacher would go around the room for speech day, you'd be frantically trying to figure out if you might get skipped that day because others ran long. You probably even imagined a quick trip to the restroom and an “oopsie” pull of the fire alarm, right?

Or maybe it was being asked to give a toast at a wedding, getting called up on stage during a presentation, or being put on the spot during a meeting when someone said, "What do you think about this?" and suddenly everyone's looking at you like you hold the secrets to the universe.

Regardless of the level of public humiliation—er, opportunity—we've all had a time or two when we're standing with our toes over the ledge, deciding whether backing away or jumping in will give us the best, or perhaps quickest, outcome.

The Comfort Zone Dance We All Know

Here’s what I love about these moments: they're not really about public speaking or stages or microphones. They're about something much bigger. They're about who gets to lead the dance when you're thrown against the edge of your comfort zone.

In my soon-to-be-published book, You're The Shift, I talk about this exact phenomenon. These moments—these unexpected invitations to step into something bigger—are actually gifts disguised as panic attacks. They're your life's way of asking, "Are you ready to own your shift, or are you going to let this opportunity own you?"

And here's the thing that nobody talks about: Anna Wilson didn't become brave on that stage. She was brave because she sang in public already and the AGT stage just gave her a place to show it.

The same is true for you. Those moments when you're thrust into the spotlight aren't creating courage—they're revealing courage that was already there, waiting for its moment to shine.

The Question That Changes Everything

So here's what I want to ask you, and it's a question that might just change how you approach every uncomfortable situation from here on out:

When is the last time you reflected on your life's pivotal moments to harvest what you learned about your own comfort zone behaviors?

Think about it. You've already survived every single one of your worst days. You've already navigated situations that felt impossible at the time. You've already proven you can handle more than you think you can.

But here's what happens for most people: 1) they decline the invite to move through the edge of their comfort zone and return back to their seat, or; 2) they survive the moment, feel relief that it's over, and then promptly forget everything they learned about their own capabilities. It's like going through Navy SEAL training and then acting surprised the next time you have to do a push-up.

Your past is full of evidence that you're stronger, more capable, and more resilient than you give yourself credit for. But if you don't take the time to harvest those insights, you're going to keep approaching each new challenge like a deer in headlights.

Your Stage is Waiting

Here's the beautiful truth: you don't need America's Got Talent to throw you onto a stage. Life has a strange way of being AGT and pushing you toward a stage—some big, some small, all of them opportunities to practice leading your own comfort zone dance.

The question isn't whether you'll face moments that push you to your edge. The question is: when that moment comes, will you remember who you really are?

Because somewhere inside you, there's an Anna Wilson waiting for her moment. And trust me, when that moment comes, you're going to want to be ready to answer the call.

Ready to discover how to turn those terrifying "now what?" moments into your greatest growth opportunities? Join Horizon Matters and get practical tools for leading your own comfort zone dance—plus early access to my book, You’re The Shift.

P.S. - If you're someone who's ever had that "thrown on stage" moment (literally or figuratively), I'd love to hear about it. Contact Me and share your story—I might feature it in an upcoming newsletter (with your permission, of course). Sometimes the best lessons come from knowing we're not alone as we trip going up the stairs onto the stage!