Often we ask ourselves what risks might we face if we step out of our comfort zone, but we don't often enough ask ourselves if we will survive our current comfort zone. It hurts me as a clinician to see clients so desperately wanting a new way, but too afraid to step up for themselves. They're scared, and not quite ready to be honest with themselves. Many are afraid of losing their status quo even when that status quo is making them rather miserable.
Our comfort zone is cozy and familiar. It's also a sweet poison, silently killing our spontaneity and vitality. Baron Baptiste shares in his book, 40 Days to a Personal Revolution, "When we choose our comfort zone over growth we get stuck or worse, because ultimately we are either awakening and growing or numbing out and spiraling downward. Life is never static - we either grow or we die."
Not too long ago I attended a lecture... on #MTHFR actually and I'll have to share a blog on the those insights into the future... and we discussed how our stressors and the environment impact our DNA. Someone made the comment that we all seek relief for the pressures of the world; some of us choose more socially acceptable or healthier habits than others. The consequences are different, but the #addiction remains. Our individual comfort zones are places we create ourselves, places where we don't have to cope. We can shut down and put the world on pause. However, within this space we are vulnerable to all kinds of manipulation, deception, self-sabotage, addiction, and stagnation.
Stepping out of our comfort zone means creating a new story for ourselves. It means risking the unknown. While we might recognize our current situation as unhealthy or toxic, we often feel as if we can manage this familiar situation better than facing uncharted territory. Stepping out of our comfort zone though, may require forgiveness we aren't willing to give ourselves or others, and it certainly will require honesty with ourselves. The conflict within us when we need to make this transition, but are too afraid, is often, are we really ready to authentic and ultimately exposed?
Moving from Disembodiment to Embodiment
More times than I can count I've heard others share that they "knew things were bad, but had no idea how bad until they escaped their circumstance." We create illusions, a false sense of security. We patch the leaks. We hide behind these identities we've enveloped. We carry on because we don't know what else to do. One wrong move might cost us everything.
Stepping inward is the only real way to find healing. Physical illness, emotional distress, over-whelm, anxiety, obesity and any other imbalance we can identify in our lives is an accumulation of many factors, and the more we understand how we've contributed to our circumstances the more able we are to make necessary adjustments. When you take this step into the unfamiliar, out of your comfort zone, you do so without your typical defenses. You're exposed; this is where you find your #authenticself. Outside your comfort zone is where you see who you are and face your moment of truth. It is where your #transformation happens.
Stay Committed to Yourself
Committing to #self-transformation means there is no easy way through and no easy way out. When we practice yoga and meditation, we practice showing up for ourselves, stepping outside our comfort zone, and while listening to our bodies and honoring our needs, we also practice committing and staying. Meditation in particular can be a challenge in staying. When we are overwhelmed with tasks, it can be hard to sit still, in silence, as your mind urges you to get busy.
I am learning how challenging it can be to stay clear and conscious around food. How often do you eat a meal and wonder where it went? In relationships do you ever question if you might potentially pursuit something or someone better? Staying committed to yourself, strengthens your ability to be steadfast to others. Peek at my blog about keeping Promises You Make to Yourself.
Take a few minutes with your #journal and ask yourself what it is you truly want for yourself? What do you need to be honest with yourself about and are you ready to be open to the truth? Are you ready to step out of your comfort zone and embrace growth so that you can work towards becoming your best self? Can you commit time to self-care every single day, in pen on your calendar, for the next six months? Join me in creating radical change for yourself. Embrace the possibility of living a life of vitality.