Our comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there. We find comfort in our daily routines, relationships and how our life is simply because it is what we know. It is our safe space, where we feel comfortable with who we are and how we have created our life. The problem is, by staying in that same place not challenging ourselves, we stagnate. We stay where we are because we are scared of the unknown – whether that unknown is horrible or great. And without those challenges, triumphs and failures, we are incapable of growth.
The truth is, when we venture outside of our comfort zone, we become vulnerable to rejection, failure or feeling alone. But the flip side is that we also create opportunities for ourselves to experience to acceptance, success and feeling connected to others. And those who allow themselves to experience discomfort and vulnerability and tell the truth about their stories, are the ones who truly inspire and touch others.
The truth is, you cannot afford to live in potential for the rest of your life. At some point, you have to unleash your potential and make your move.
You have to be willing to take the risk to get the reward.
Fear of uncertainty and what will happen always trips us up. We might get to a point where we are ready to make our move, but then fear sets in and we retreat back to our comfortable place. We tend to confuse fear with danger. Let’s look at the difference between the two:
Danger: The possibility of suffering harm or injury. A person or thing that is likely to cause harm or injury.
Fear: A strong, uncontrollable, unpleasant emotion caused by actual or perceived danger or threat.
Notice that danger is an action – something that presents a very serious potential outcome of harm. This could be an action you take, or another person takes against you, or just simply being in a situation that is dangerous.
Fear is not an action. It’s an emotion. It is a feeling about something that has yet to happen. Its intensity is so powerful that it can impair and skew our judgment when determining what is truly a threat.
When you feel overwhelmed and want to seek comfort, ask yourself if what you are feeling is real danger, or the emotion of fear. Remind yourself that life is happening for you, not to you. Whenever you step out into the unknown, you have the opportunity to grow more than you can imagine.
Learn how to embrace uncertainty.
