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© 2002 Dolores G. Wix
If you want to reach your full potential, you're
going to have to step out of your comfort zone.
What's a comfort zone? In her article, "Getting
Unstuck When You're in a Rut," personal and business
coach (http://www.instacoach.com), Dr. Sharon House,
defined comfort zone as "That cozy place we hang out
at that's routine, predicable and safe." She further
defined it as "a trusted beaten path for us to
follow." So, what's so bad about that? Plenty!
Susan Pilgrim, Ph.D. says in her article "Leaving
The Comfort Zone (AKA the Danger Zone)," "The comfort
zone can become a danger zone. When we continue to
function on a daily basis the same way we have over
time, our thinking becomes rigid. We can see things
from only one perspective and we forget there are
many ways of looking at the same situation." She
goes on to explain that thinking only one way causes
our creativity to be inhibited. "Literal plasticized
ruts in the brain are created. Parts of the brain
eventually die when they're not used over time.
Thinking and doing differently create new neural
pathways that can keep the brain functioning at an
optimal level," she says.
I'm sure you're aware that wanting to make changes
in your life is easier said than done. This is
especially true if your life is not what you want it
to be. It is easier to think of yourself in the way
you've always been. A good example is my husband,
Dave. Dave has 15 years of commercial insurance
experience and has worked in both the agency side
and company side. He doesn't particularly like it,
though.
As I have taken steps to finally do the work I've
always wanted, I've asked Dave what kind of work he
would do if he could do anything he wanted. Each
time I've asked Dave this question, I've gotten
different answers: historical writing, photography,
raise exotic birds. Not once has he answered
commercial insurance. When I asked him why he won't
start doing what he would rather do, he'd say,
"I know insurance!" And I'd say, "So what? You
can learn something else." But Dave was in his
comfort zone.
Dr. Sharon House continues in her article quoted
earlier, "Often what we call procrastination, a lack
of motivation or boredom is really just being trapped
in the shell of our own comfort zone. Like a turtle,
we pull inside and stop moving. Stop growing. Stop
seeking. We rationalize our position with excuses
and justifications and put a limit on it. We lock
it up with a 'guarantee' that consists of two
extremely powerful words: 'I can't.'
"We paint ourselves into a corner with our fears and
inhibitions. We resist change. We avoid risk. Our
senses dull. We may feel as if we are suffocating.
We notice the dull ache of emptiness. We feel
paralyzed by our fears, real or imagined! Pretty
soon, living inside the safety and comfort of our
shell, devoid of challenge or change, becomes a habit
just like brushing our teeth in the morning or tying
our shoes. Easy, effortless, familiar! We've retired
from the excitement and challenge that purposeful
living offers. Our comfort zone has become our
liability zone!"
If you recognize that you are in your comfort zone
and you want to get out of it, how do you do that?
First, start slowly. Start by making changes in
your everyday life activities.
Lastly, recognize that fear is the greatest threat
to us, according to Brian Tracy. In his book,
"Maximum Achievement" he states that before age six
we are all programmed with the fear of failure and
the fear of rejection. "These fears usually set
the upper and lower limits of your comfort zone.
Because of them, you do enough not to be criticized
or rejected on the low side, and you stay well
within your limits so you can avoid risk or failure
on the high side. Once you've slipped into your
comfort zone, you stay there, attempting to avoid
any feeling of fear or anxiety. Your fears hold
you back from most of what is possible for you."
Mr. Tracy goes on to say that the opposite of fear
is love, beginning with self-love, or self-esteem,
and that is the way out. "There is an inverse or
opposite relationship between self-esteem and fears
of all kinds. The more you like yourself, the less
you fear failure and rejection. The more you like
yourself, the more willing you are to reach out and
take the risks that will lead you on to success and
happiness. The more you like yourself, the more
willing you are to take the actions that propel you
out of your comfort zone and toward the achievement
of your real goals and desires."
To begin liking yourself or increasing your self-
esteem, Mr. Tracy suggests repeating, "I like myself"
(or "I love myself") 50 to 100 times a day until
these words penetrate your subconscious. I have
used this technique for many years and it works!
If you use it consistently, you will quickly see
and feel differently about yourself and notice an
improvement in your relationship with others.
I'm very happy to say that Dave has stepped out of
his comfort zone and has enrolled in the Travel
Writing Course of the American Writers & Artists
Institute. If you're interested in their travel
writing and other writing courses, their web site
address is: http://www.awaionline.com/main.html Dolores G. Wix is the publisher of the Potential Rose Newsletter, which offers advice, articles and resources on reaching your full potential. Subscribe at http://www.fertilegroundpublishing.com or send email to: doloreswix@fertilegroundpublishing.com
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