My Comfort Zone
I’d like to start off by saying that we wouldn’t even be having this conversation today if my father had stayed in his Comfort Zone. We were from a small farming community in Central Iowa, my parents were 4th generation descendants the pioneering families that settled in that part of the state. I mean we were Iowans in the truest sense of the word. But when my dad turned 50, he got the itch to travel. He would subscribe to these Real Estate magazines and in the winter time he’d sit in his recliner on Sundays and dream of what it would be like to live someplace else. Each summer we'd take vacations and visit some of those places he dreamed of.
And in 1964 he did it. He sold the house he’d built with his own hands, hooked a trailer to the back of a 1956 Chevy, loaded that up and a station wagon that my mom drove. And my dog Sandy and I jumped in and we took off for Florida. And we really left our Comfort Zone!
And in 1964 he did it. He sold the house he’d built with his own hands, hooked a trailer to the back of a 1956 Chevy, loaded that up and a station wagon that my mom drove. And my dog Sandy and I jumped in and we took off for Florida. And we really left our Comfort Zone!
As exciting as it was to move from the Tall Corn State to the Action Center of Florida, transferring to a middle school that had twice as many students as our town had people back in Iowa was a little unnerving! I had never seen so many human beings in one place at one time in my whole life! Talk about butterflies in my stomach. And the school was huge! I remember getting lost the very first day trying to find my homeroom and for several days trying to find all my classes. And trying to find the right bus on the way home - Whoa! And then there was the bully on the bus. And that was just the beginning of the school year!
I knew I would have to learn to soar like an eagle
Wilbur Wright said -“A bird doesn’t soar in a calm”. And I found in this situation I would have to learn to soar like an eagle or, stay defeated on the ground like a sparrow.
Haven’t you found in your experience that it’s when you’re battling against and overcoming obstacles that you have your greatest growth? And, growth is good right? So struggle, confusion, pain, discomfort, fear - these are all signs that we are growing aren’t they? And so they’re good signs. And in order to grow what do you think should we avoid struggles or embrace them?
In fact, if we want to grow quickly, we should actively seek them out. Get uncomfortable on a regular basis! Sounds strange doesn’t it, but it’s exactly what we need to do.
So how did I do the first year in my new school in Florida? Well I did learn to stand up to the bully on the bus. I also learned to make new friends who helped me find all my classes. And thankfully I had teaches who kept me fully engaged in my studies.
But you see when my dad packed up and took us to Florida, he did more than change our address, he changed the way we thought about everything from that day forward. So my first year in this humongous school turned out to be my best school year ever! I believe it’s because Dad modeled to me what it looked like to step outside my Comfort Zone, face my fears, stretch and grow beyond my limitations.
Haven’t you found in your experience that it’s when you’re battling against and overcoming obstacles that you have your greatest growth? And, growth is good right? So struggle, confusion, pain, discomfort, fear - these are all signs that we are growing aren’t they? And so they’re good signs. And in order to grow what do you think should we avoid struggles or embrace them?
In fact, if we want to grow quickly, we should actively seek them out. Get uncomfortable on a regular basis! Sounds strange doesn’t it, but it’s exactly what we need to do.
So how did I do the first year in my new school in Florida? Well I did learn to stand up to the bully on the bus. I also learned to make new friends who helped me find all my classes. And thankfully I had teaches who kept me fully engaged in my studies.
But you see when my dad packed up and took us to Florida, he did more than change our address, he changed the way we thought about everything from that day forward. So my first year in this humongous school turned out to be my best school year ever! I believe it’s because Dad modeled to me what it looked like to step outside my Comfort Zone, face my fears, stretch and grow beyond my limitations.
Some questions to ask yourself to help you move outside your Comfort Zone
- What is my next step to grow myself personally and/or professionally?
- What is keeping me from taking this step right now? Put a name on your terror barrier.
- Specifically how will taking this next step move me closer to reaching my goals?
- What does taking that step and succeeding look like? Imagine moving forward to victory.
- What does failure look like if I take this step? How will I recover from that?
- What is the cost to my personal/professional aspirations of you not taking this step ?
- Can I afford to stay in my Comfort Zone?
The Comfort Zone Is The Biggest Dream Killer Of Modern Day Life
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