Your Challenge Today:
Get out of your comfort zone …
By Bernadette Kathryn, LMT, IHLC
I want to challenge you today
to get out of your comfort zone.
You have so much incredible potential on the inside.
~ Joel Osteen
Getting out of our comfort zone is often a difficult challenge for most of us. We generally like to stick with what we know and where we feel confident and relaxed, we like the familiar. There is safety in the familiar, safety in our confidence and safety in knowing what to expect from life, so we think.
It’s true, the familiar is safe, relaxing and comforting. However, we don’t generally grow as people when we are too comfortable, we can become stagnant. New experiences bring excitement, adventure and passion into our lives. To have these new experiences we have to be willing to get out of our comfort zone. When I was first thinking about learning to SCUBA dive, I was very afraid. I actually had nightmares and decided it wasn’t for me, there was no way I was ever going to do that, I could die. So, I gave up the thought for some time and then it appeared again ~ I really like to swim and I always preferred swimming underwater much more than on top. I had mermaid fantasies as a kid, I used to do water ballet and teach swimming lessons, I love the water.
Time went by and the idea of SCUBA diving came up again several times until the right time presented itself and I decided to try it. Well, I felt invincible swimming underwater without having to come up for air, what a rush … it was so much fun (in the pool). I completed my lessons and scheduled a trip to the Bahamas to complete my certification ~ I was petrified! Swimming in the pool was one thing, the open ocean, completely different story. Ten or twelve feet underwater, no problem ~ forty feet or more, completely different story ~ I was really, really scared. But, I was there, had my equipment, my instructor, dive master for guidance, my buddy and I had to give it a try. I did it, scared as I was, I did it. I completed all the necessary exercises to get my certification and I was now free to dive, so I did. I realized that I needed to practice to build my confidence and relieve my fear, I needed positive experiences to hold on to so that I could enjoy this new hobby.
Fast forward, it’s 15 years later and I have completed 200+ dives, traveled all over the world to very exciting places, made new friends and developed a real love of exploration. I love the relaxation of being on a boat for 7-10 days, the feeling of the water gently rocking the boat, the adventure of remote places, the opportunity to make new friends and see places I never really knew about before taking up this new hobby. I was scared and I made myself go anyway, I made myself try and I am really glad I did.
What challenge are you contemplating today?
I want to challenge you today to get out of your comfort zone #LivingFitLifestyle Click To Tweet
Today my challenge is about being patient with myself and my son on this, his second day, of his visit. I need to be mindful of having good expectations so that he/we can both rise to the occasion of meeting those positive expectations.
Thank you Pamela – patience is so helpful and as a reminder to us all. Be patient with ourselves, our loved ones and the world. I definitely need this reminder — thank you!!!
my big challenges are little challenges through out the day. body awareness for one. good posture to prevent body pain by the end of the day. eating well and mindfully for better overall health and so my tummy doesn’t hurt. remembering to take little time-outs during the day so i am not exhausted by mid-afternoon. doing little exercises all day long to build myself up.
nice Debbie — all challenges, big and small are an asset to our lives when are take them on — we win just by honoring ourself!