Thursday, July 28, 2011

The Comfort Zone

"Happiness begins at the end of my comfort zone." (anonymous, quoted by Stephanie McIntyre)

That line says it all. What does a comfort zone bring? More of the same. Getting out of it is like starting to exercise... there may be a bit of resistance, maybe a little pain, discomfort. Or it can be like speaking a new language... awkward, a feeling of stupidity, stumbling around in intimidating territory. I hate to do it, but I'll state the obvious: The only way to really live is to adopt a spirit of adventure-- even if they're tiny adventures, like:
  •         having dinner alone in a restaurant and ordering a glass of wine (or even two glasses of wine)
  •        driving down a highway just because you want to know where it leads
  •        buying a ticket even if you're the only one who wants to go
  •        talking to different people at work
  •        hiring somebody to do things you dread, so you have time for the things you love

The list can go on and on. Make a list of things that can stretch you beyond the familiar, and into the realm of who you actually imagine yourself to be.