The Thing About Comfort

Are you too comfortable?  When was the last time that you were put in an unexpected situation or an unknown challenge was thrown at you?  Better yet, when was the last time you took a chance on yourself and actually followed through with something that you have been putting off for years?  When was the last time that you made a decision to go after your dreams and become the person that you know you were meant to be?   

Recently, I put myself in an extremely uncomfortable situation.  I left my job, that I loved and a community of people that I love and care for, to start my own business.  I am not kidding when I tell you that I'm extremely uncomfortable.  Leading up to my ultimate decision, I wasn't eating right or sleeping well and my workouts sucked horribly!  Even as I write this I'm filled with anxiety and I can neither confirm nor deny that I am freaking out just a little bit.  I ask myself things like; "what the f*ck did you just do?  Are you crazy?" or "you love those people, why did you leave?" or "this is going to be a lot of work, a lot of f*cking work!  Are you sure you're up for it?"

The answer is undoubtedly, yes.  Yes.  I am up for the challenge.  The truth is, I would rather be uncomfortable and work towards being exactly what I see in my dreams, than live a "comfortable" existence asking myself "what if" or imagining what life "could have been like" had I followed my dreams and my heart.  Here's the thing about comfort, it doesn't help you grow. 
  
A month or two ago someone that I know and respect were having a conversation about fitness and he said something to me that I haven't stopped thinking about since.  In gist, we didn't see eye to eye on an issue and he said "I hope you learn to get out of your comfort zone." 

Looking back, I really appreciate that comment because it helped me reevaluate my life (aside from fitness) and how I was living versus how I want to live.  I was living a life that was too comfortable, and I wasn't really doing anything to challenge myself to become a better version of me.  I was just existing.  Simply put, that is not living.

Just think about it for a second, where is the excitement in being comfortable?  Where is the growth in never watering your seed?  Why settle?  What if a caterpillar was okay and settled with just being a caterpillar?  If they settled, they would never find out that they were destined to be a beautiful butterfly.  That would be silly right?  That is what a lot of people do...they settle on being a caterpillar.  They stay in their present condition and live "comfortably" and later wonder why they are not living a joy filled life.

I'm not sorry when I say that I refuse to settle.  I want much more for myself.  You should want much more for yourself too.  

 

Now that I have you thinking about comfort zones...what is yours?  Is there a competition that you've always wanted to enter, but don't sign-up because know that you will have to work hard for it?  Do you really want to lose weight, but know that a lot of commitment will be necessary to reach your goal weight?  Do you really want to increase a particular lift by 20, 30,...heck 50 pounds, but can't wrap your head around the amount of consistency that is required to get there?  Outside of fitness, is there a life change that you have always thought about, but you quiver and get physically ill when you think about how uncomfortable it will be to make that change? 

Is there something that you want to do, but you're afraid to step outside of your comfort zone to achieve it?  My advice is this, think long and hard about the reasons why you want it (prayer helped me), and then ask yourself 2 simple questions.  1) What happens if I take a chance on myself and follow my dreams?  2)  Can I grow and learn in my current situation? 

Whatever your answers are to the questions above, I hope that you are able to learn to step outside of your comfort zone.  Don't just exist. Make sure you live a life of meaning.