We had previously shed lights on the comfort zone and what could constitute a comfort zone.
Now let’s take a much deeper look at the place called the comfort zone.
We have already established that it is a place of comfort for us.
And also that it doesn’t necessarily have to be a location, it could be a state of being or an
emotion, a particular action or even a person.
The comfort zone encourages and enables complacency.
When we are comfortable we believe we don’t have to strive, and we simply relax since we
aren’t under any kind of pressure. We feel safe,
we feel secure knowing that we are in our safe space.
Here nothing is required of us and as a result we do not push ourselves and have zero
expectations of ourselves.
Our creativity is not tested neither is our strength
This gives the impression that everything is okay and nothing is changing
However the safety in the comfort zone is nothing but a lie.
The implied safety is simply an illusion because there can be no real safety in stagnation; which
is what perpetual dwelling in the comfort zone breeds.
Life is never at a stand still, it is always moving and expanding; and for someone to remain in a
single place means life is actually leaving them behind.
There is no stagnation in life and the comfort zone makes you think there is so you don’t make
any attempt to move or change.
Not moving too, is also an illusion because obviously not moving means life keeps moving
forward and leaves you behind which translates to one moving backwards; there is regression
instead of progression.
The comfort zone creates regression. The danger of the comfort zone is that you don’t see the
regression except or until something happens to trigger your awareness and it is sometimes too
late.
There is a common saying that ‘’great things don’t come from Comfort zones’’ and this is a fact.
The comfort zone offers no pressure or push to test potential.
So creativity is at a low in the comfort zone.
A lot of possibilities, potential and growth are stunted in the comfort zone.
Some form of discomfort is necessary for creativity to thrive.
One must be dissatisfied with a condition enough to desire better.
But if you are in that comfort zone desire is not triggered and there is no motivation.
Every great achiever has a story to tell about how they had to struggle to overcome in order to
achieve the success they have.
They were dissatisfied and very restless with their condition and desired better.
That in itself is great motivation.
In the comfort zone one tends to remain average or mediocre, since the need to exercise
strength or expansion does not arise.
You miss out on a lot of opportunities and possibilities.
For sure someone who enjoys the comfort zone is easy to identify.
They don’t like to engage in anything that requires more from them than they are willing to give.
They don’t want to read, they are uncomfortable with learning new skills and they refuse
adventures.
They enjoy routine tasks that don’t challenge their mental capacity.
They can carry out their chores absent-mindedly without engaging their mental faculties.
The comfort zone can be a place of refuge for a short. Just to heal, refresh or recalibrate.
It isn’t meant to be a permanent place of residence.
There are times the comfort zone is a life saver: when one has experienced some sort of loss,
trauma or heartbreak; and just can’t handle pressure.
The comfort zone offers a safe space for healing and refreshing since it is a no pressure zone
However we aren’t meant to stay there permanently or indefinitely.
We should give ourselves a time frame for our duration in that zone. If not the likelihood of
becoming too comfortable is a sure threat.
And this threat is real because it will keep us from growing and expanding which are the real
essence of being alive.
The comfort zone blinds us from opportunities. The comfort zone is a place that prevents us
from identifying opportunities for growth and makes us incapable of following through even
when we see these opportunities. So there’s no growth or expansion in the comfort zone.
One would see any opportunity as not in alignment or as a threat because it would require some
sort of action.
Anyone identified as a comfort zone dweller will no longer be offered opportunities. It is
assumed and expected that you will waste the opportunity and; they justifiably prefer to give it to
another person who has a reputation for stepping up.
The comfort zone has to be questioned and disrupted to get out of it.
Some sort of discomfort has to be introduced to cause motivation.
You must ask yourself these questions:
Is this serving me?
How long have I been here and how long do I intend to remain here?
Is there something small I can start doing differently?
Do I think I’m missing out on anything? And what could that be?
Am I expressing my creativity enough?
Is there a compromise between this place and stepping out fully?
Am I healing?
What do I really want?
Answers to these questions will get you started on defeating the comfort zone menace.
It will determine how much more you prefer living life fully to hiding, perhaps not.
Another question to ask and perhaps the most important is ” what am I afraid of?”
This helps to understand why anyone is hiding away in their comfort zone, because the comfort
zone is a place of obscurity. Many stay in obscurity out of fear of criticism.
Truth is we will always be criticized no matter what we do. We might as well blow some minds
with our creativity and have a blast living life.
Others yet are afraid of heartbreak.
As a result they stick with someone who isn’t the best partner for them.
They might even be abused but it offers a familiarity that they would rather hold on to than to go
out and meet new people; and risk fresh heartbreak.
This way they denied themselves the chance of meeting better people who would have
cherished them.
They remain in abusive relationships because those relationships are comfort zones for them.
To them it is familiar.
Life is meant to be lived. Life is about experiences, expressions, growth and expansion; none of
which happened in the comfort zone.
So my advice to you is if you want to live life fully, flow in creativity, have vibrant experiences
and enjoy adventure, get out of your comfort zone.
