We all have our own invisible lines that determines our levels of comfort in different settings in life. When you become accustomed to your comfort zone, you constrain yourself from realising your full potential and also from experiencing deeper joy. If your comfort zone is broad enough, you may not even realise that you’re stuck in a ‘box’. For me the invisible lines of my comfort zone have been chalked in with fear. I have developed boundaries that are defined by all the reasons why I shouldn’t do something, instead of all the reasons why I’d like to do it. I’m sure this is not unique to me, but I can only speak to my own experience.
I know now that the limits of our comfort zone is determined by us and us alone. Therefore we can expand these without having to overly distress ourselves. For me, stepping out of this comfort zone is important because I want to experience a variety of things in this one precious life. I have for the past 32 years been living based on the rules that have been set for me and the fears that have crippled me. This has required me to make myself smaller than I am, quieter than I am and less important than I am. To this I say ‘NO MORE’.
One of the examples of comfort zone that has stood out to me recently is how I’ve developed constructs and thoughts about my relationship with nature and exercise. I have these limiting beliefs that I am not a ‘fit’ person, that I don’t ‘enjoy’ being in nature and that I’m a couch potato that is used to concrete jungles and city life. I get freaked out by insects and I’m not one for muddy, messy, dirty things. Such narratives have held me back from doing a lot of activities and experiencing fun in different ways.
Living in Australia, I’ve never really been one to enjoy the beach nor had I ever gone for a ‘swim’ in the ocean. I used to always look at the negatives that came with this, like the heat, the discomfort, the worry of what’s in the water etc. But over the past couple of years I’ve slowly been exposing myself to the beach more and learning more about how I can step into this ‘new environment’ with tools that make me feel more comfortable e.g. what to wear to protect me from the sun, how to stay hydrated so I don’t feel the discomfort etc. After 2.5 years of slowly exposing myself to the elements, making observations and testing my limits I am not so excited to say that in the past 2 weeks I’ve actually swam in the ocean!
Yes I still have boundaries with it that I still need to explore, but I have made incredible progress and with this comes confidence, joy and a sense of empowerment that we don’t feel when we’re staying our comfort zones. All of a sudden you realise that you don’t have to hold yourself back and that you can with practice, kindness, patience and consideration get yourself out of those invisible lines and allow yourself to experience life in new ways.
Now that I’ve done it, I’m not sure what I had been waiting for! It’s important that I don’t give much airtime to these thoughts because I don’t want my inner judge to creep in and punish me for what has been. Instead I want my compassionate self to celebrate the fact that I’ve managed to grow. I am curious about what other steps I can take in my life that will take me out of my comfort zone.
What is it that is holding you back? Where do you draw the lines to your comfort zone? What would you like to experience?
Love Always,
M
Souloom™ 