This has been a reoccurring topic lately. Getting out of our comfort zone really is the place where things happen. It’s not a coincidence, it’s not luck, it’s just one of the many laws of success that present themselves to us throughout life.
As I sit here in my quiet kitchen on a sunny Saturday morning having a cup of coffee of course, I can’t help to be drawn to thoughts on how much I’ve avoided getting out of my comfort zone in my past. Parts of my thoughts are of course how I wished I didn’t do that. How I should have pushed through my limiting beliefs about doing things that made me feel uncomfortable and where I could be today if I would have done those things.
As I take a sip of my coffee I have quickly adjusted my thoughts as I look outside at the sunshine on all the snow we have, and I notice the snow that has disappeared from on top of our patio table. A thought pops into my head about how things are improving weather wise and that spring is coming with warmer temperatures and the snow will be gone soon enough. That also got me thinking about the fact that I cannot sit here and feel bad about past mistakes. That I know better enough to capture the lessons from those past instances and apply them to the new beginnings that are in front of me now.
I had a couple of great conversations with a few students throughout the past week. A couple of current seniors, along with a couple of alumni that I saw who were on their spring breaks from college. Our conversations were in part about this very point about getting out of your comfort zone and that’s where great things start happening. It’s about the outstanding people that come into our lives when we get of our box of comfort and venture forward in new directions. It’s about the new situations that present themselves if we have our eyes, ears, minds, and hearts open; for that’s the only way we will recognize them. I even mentioned to one of my current seniors, that I too need to follow my own advice. I need to get out of my comfort zone and look in new directions for things that will further my passion in life to help and serve others.
It sure does help to have that idea of what indeed is your passion(s) in life. What gets you fired up? What wakes you up early with those thoughts and ideas that start coming into your head where you can’t sleep anymore and you have to get up to get going on your day? One of the other topics I spoke about with a current senior was the fact they didn’t know what they wanted to do after graduation and how scared they were that it’s coming so fast. That’s the part about that we need to keep moving forward with doing things that we can learn new things, meet new people and have our eyes, ears, hearts and minds open to the new things that will come into our lives.
This senior did something right. He said he changed his schedule around a little bit in order to take a couple more challenging classes instead of those that many people suggest to take that won’t challenge him too much. This was another moment for me where I recognized that this student just became a teacher and taught me a lesson that I needed. I too need to do some things that not only challenge me but will open new doors of possibilities in my life. Those new possibilities will not only affect me personally but could also positively affect others in my life that could benefit from me getting out of my comfort zone.
So, as I grab another cup of coffee while my house is still quiet, I will look at today to see what are some other small things I can do to get out of my comfort zone and get going on some things that will pay some huge benefits soon or in the future. What can you do with today that will help you move beyond your walls of comfort? What also can you share about that part of your journey that will help others too?