comfort zone

Cultivating Beginner’s Mind: Adventure Lies Outside Your Comfort Zone

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“The don’t-know mind… doesn’t fear, has no wish to control or foresee, steps off the cliff of the moment with absolute trust that the next step will land somewhere, and the next step somewhere else, and the feet will take us wherever we need to go.” ~Byron Katie

learnAmaya Pryce – I am fifty-five years old. I’ve raised a family, been through two divorces, bought and sold four houses, and had a successful professional career. And right now I’m doing one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, which is learning to host in a busy restaurant.

My coworkers range from mid-twenties to early thirties. They are smart and hardworking. I feel like my brain is about to explode. Continue reading →

The Stages of (Resisting) Change

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changeNanice Ellis – What happens when we resist change, and why is change inevitable?

Whether you’re someone who prefers the comforts of home or you’re an adventurous spirit who loves to explore, change can be scary – even in the best of circumstances!

Even though we all have a natural desire for novelty and newness, the human psyche equates anything new or “unknown” with potential danger, and since we must face the unknown in order embrace change, most of us instinctively gravitate towards the familiar, often avoiding change altogether.

Just to make matters worse, there’s a whole bunch of common clichés that tell us we should resist change at all costs. For example: Continue reading →

Avoid Assumption Expect Expansion with Ease

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comfort zoneJennifer Hoffman – All of the energy shifts and changes that are happening are very upsetting, especially when they usher in big life changes which we didn’t expect or are not prepared for the full scope of what happens as a result of them. These are part of the transformation we welcome with open arms, until we realize that there is far more to that path than we anticipated.

When our comfort zone is disrupted we naturally go into fear mode – fear that we won’t be able to perform effectively in our lives, that we will fail at something, that we will get lost, stuck, or worse. Our comfort zone is not where we are necessarily comfortable; it is where we are surrounded by what we know and are familiar with. Continue reading →

The Mental Shift Of Dropping Your Illusory Comfort Zone

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“Now it was a bit disorienting to consider that Los Angeles did not exist—except on Facebook or if I picked up the phone, and even then only as pixels on my computer or sounds in my receiver.” – T Bunzel

GirlMountainTopSkyOne of the great benefits of beginning to see one’s mind as an instrument rather than as one’s “self” is the ability to recognize patterns and to make changes. While the question of “who” is actually making any changes (free will) remains a mystery—or rather when it becomes a mystery, amazing things can happen.

I have lived (or rather I had lived) in Los Angeles for 35 years, having moved there from the east coast in 1979 to pursue a fantasy of fame and fortune in the film business. Over those years I had made friendships, some that dissipated and others that strengthened, and gotten extremely comfortable with my environment – I lived in 3 apartments and one condo within a square mile area near my park and tennis courts, restaurants, dry cleaners, doctor and so on.

But the cost of living in LA, particularly rent, and my own changing circumstances, made me reconsider this comfort zone. And in fact the prospect of leaving caused me some anxiety—the “voice in my head,” in trying to protect me insisted that I was “safest” by staying put. In fact at my lowest point even travel seemed scary. But I remember a Skype session with Ben Smythe, a teacher who travels widely who made me aware that my sense of control within my comfort zone was an illusion.  It was the habit of familiarity that made me feel safe but the future was still completely unknown and by no means guaranteed. Continue reading →

There Is Greatness Within Us Just Waiting For Us To Believe

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Inspire Me Today | June 28 2012

We all have greatness within us that is just waiting for us to believe. Once we believe, the foundation is in place for our greatness to take a foothold and grow. ~ Deidre Hughey

As an adult, I made comfortable choices. And why shouldn’t I? My childhood was a barrage of chores (I grew up on a farm) before the innocence of it all was stripped from me in the form of child abuse. The roller coaster that followed looked something like: fear, self-doubt, self-blame, depression, self-loathing, self-abuse, suicidal thoughts, recovery, more self-doubt, drugs…

Once I was able to control my life, my goal was to be comfortable at all costs. I made choices that made me feel good, satisfied, and relaxed. “After all,” I thought to myself, “Don’t I deserve to be comfortable?”

The problem with comfort is how deceptive it is. Sure, on the surface, it looks like a good idea. Heck, it feels like a good idea. But in my never-ending efforts to make myself more comfortable, I had actually made myself unhappy and stuck. I was making absolutely no effort to move forward in my life.

Comfort lures you with promises of immediate satisfaction. It’s what keeps you from trying new things, from pushing yourself, from taking a leap of faith. It’s what keeps you from being who you were meant to be. For me, comfort became a companion that kept me in a job I hated and away from dating, exercising, and trying anything new. In my effort to make myself comfortable, I had stopped living.

So, what’s living?

Living is knowing:

  • What you like and what you don’t like
  • That you CAN push past what your mind thinks you can do
  • That you have friends that would answer your call at 2am
  • That you’ve helped someone else to accomplish their dreams
  • That you have boundless talent, joy and brilliance inside of you just waiting to burst out!

Continue reading →