Ariana Valerio

60 Dunne Pl.

Lynbrook NY, 11563

 

November 3, 2020

 

Mr. Donald P. Christian & Distinguished Speaker Committee

SUNY New Paltz

1 Hawk Dr.

New Paltz NY, 12561

 

Dear Mr. President and Distinguished Members of the Speaker Committee,

 

The transition from high school to college is a difficult adjustment for everyone. No matter how smart or outgoing you may be, college is a difficult adjustment. College is the place where you have to learn how to make the right decisions. These decisions will impact your future and can change your life. However, you cannot make life impacting decisions if you are not willing to get out of your comfort zone and have new experiences. The TED Talk, “Countdown to the One Word that Will Change Your Life,” shows us how you can learn more than just academic material in college. When we enter college, the first thing we want to do is fit in. We want to make friends, be part of something, and be included. By doing this we stick to the status quo and don’t take chances. Doing these things doesn’t make us a better person or prepare us for the world after college.

The speaker of “Countdown to the One Word that will Change your Life”, Kevin Corcoran Jr., is an award-winning college professor at San Diego State University, professional speaker, and published author. He is a public speaking Professor in the Communications department (Corcoran Jr.). Mr. Corcoran is an animated, enthusiastic speaker who maintains the attention of a crowd. During his talk, he teaches us the lessons he learned and the research he conducted about the significance of the word “no” as well as the impact of the word “yes”. He helps us realize how important it is to get out of our comfort zone. By saying “no” and staying in our comfort zone, we can miss out on many opportunities and life changing experiences without even knowing it. We limit our potential by following the status quo and rejecting the unfamiliar. Corcoran Jr. wants us to learn how to balance our need to fit in with the ability to get out of our comfort zone so we can live our life to the fullest.

 

Cronin, the author of the article, “Challenging your Comfort Zone,” defines comfort zone as “The psychological/emotional/behavioral construct that defines the routine of our daily lives.” As humans, we are used to doing the same things over and over each day and never give any attention to trying things that we aren’t normally comfortable with.  In his classes and in the TED Talk, Kevin Corcoran Jr. helps individuals identify their comfort zones. In his lectures, talks, and in his newly published book, Corcoran Jr. gives us examples from his life and from the life of his students to help us truly understand the meaning of comfort zone.

 

Many of us become stuck and don’t see the need to try new things. As college students, we are always worried about fitting and being included. Due to this, we continue to do what feels comfortable to us and what feels safe. We don’t give much thought as to what experiencing new things means. Corcoran Jr., emphasizes this as he talks about his students and their initial reaction to his proposal. In his article Cronin states, “The downside of staying in your comfort zone is that it challenges neither your ability nor your determination to accomplish something new.” The importance of being determined and being willing to challenge yourself is directly related to comfort zones and us learning more about ourselves than ever before.

 

Every semester Kevin Corcoran Jr. makes a proposal to the students in his class. His proposal consists of the students replacing the word “no” with the word “yes” in their vocabulary. In the Ted Talk he explains how the students are initially reluctant to participate in this. He discusses why it is so difficult for us as individuals to do this. His research has indicated that the main reason why individuals have a hard time replacing the word “no” with the word “yes” is due to fear. Individuals fear the unknown, the new, and change. They do not realize how many new opportunities they are giving themselves and the benefits that come.

 

Getting out of your comfort zone means experiencing new things, despite the fear you may have. It means challenging yourself and your fears in order to change your life. According to Stahl, “Focusing on things you’re not good at and getting out of your comfort zone is critical to adapting to the future.” In other words, Stahl believes that with the expansion of change in your daily routine, you can better prepare yourself for whatever the future holds. You open yourself up for more and different experiences and opportunities which will change your life. Getting out of your comfort zone also teaches you your limits but allows you to learn new skills and information that will better inform your life choices. It will allow you to see your potential and give you the confidence you need to excel.

 

Some may argue that staying in your comfort zone is perfectly fine. These individuals believe that “Their basic abilities are traits that they have from the beginning and they only possess a certain amount” (Cronin). However, this belief limits a person’s potential and can ultimately limit their overall life achievement. This being said, it is important to use the most important word in the English dictionary, “yes”, as we are taught by Kevin Corcoran Jr. in his TED Talk. Using this word as a replacement for “no” can help us as humans realize our real potential and helps us to live more fulfilling lives. It is important to be mindful of the things we are saying “yes” to rather than “no”. Kevin Corcoran Jr. doesn’t want anyone to put themselves in danger, he just wants them to realize their potential in life and change their outlook. He wants us to say “yes” to the things we normally aren’t used to saying “yes” to.

 

Getting out of our comfort zone is important in helping us reach our potential in life. By replacing the word “no” with the word “yes” we open ourselves up to accepting new experiences, relationships, and opportunities which will impact our future. Kevin Corcoran Jr. does a great job in helping us realize the need to get out of our comfort zone and increase our use of the word “yes”. Using this word, helps drastically in the change of our lives, for the better. We will have a completely different outlook on life just by changing our normal “no’s” to “yes’”

 

Bringing Kevin Corcoran Jr. in as a speaker to our campus will help my fellow classmates realize how drastically their lives can change for the better by just getting out of their comfort zones. The opportunities that may change their lives forever with just a change in their daily routine.

 

Thank you for your attention.

Sincerely,

Ariana D. Valerio

Works Cited

Corcoran, Kevin. “San Diego’s Most Fun Speaker.” Kevincorcoranjr, 2019, www.speakerkev.com/speaking.

Corcoran, Kevin. “Countdown to the One Word That Will Change Your Life | Kevin Corcoran Jr. | TEDxSDSU.” YouTube.com, TEDx Talks , 19 Apr. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=loaVQyzKgC0.

Cronin, Greg. “Challenging your Comfort Zone.” Camping Magazine, vol. 93, no. 3, May-June 2020, p. 42+. Gale General One File,

https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A625053392/ITOF?u=nysl_se_sojotru&sid=ITOF&xid=68ae81a6. Accessed 10 Nov. 2020.

Stahl, Jason. “Leaving your Comfort Zone.” Bodyshop Business, vol. 39, no. 9, Sept. 2020, p. 10. Gale General OneFile,

https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A638211520/ITOF?u=nysl_se_sojotru&sid=ITOF&xid=c490afa1. Accessed 10 Nov. 2020.