Recently, I was having a conversation with someone and we
talked about our comfort zones. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, ‘comfort
zone’ refers to the locations, activities, emotions, and individuals in a
person’s life that they are frequently exposed to. Generally, a person
gravitates toward those elements that bring them a comfortable and safe feeling. You might define it as your daily routine. The point of the discussion
focused on pushing that zone, expanding it and giving it more depth and whether it was always necessary. Now my
personal view is most people, including myself, should continually push on that
comfort zone because if you don’t, it will shrink.
I’ll explain. If you drive to work and always take the exact
same route, you might become so used to that routine the thought of driving a different
way might make you feel uncomfortable, or even a bit scared. Here’s a personal example
for you. I usually eat out for lunch once a week. There’s a Subway two blocks
away that I like so I usually find myself heading down there. Now I know Subway
isn’t that great, but it’s convenient and I know the people that work there, so
it’s comfortable. But, I can get pretty damned tired of sub sandwiches at
times. I found that I wasn’t exploring all the other possibilities around me
even though I was sick of my current situation. One day I just got so sick of
subs I couldn’t even finish my sandwich. That’s when I realized I needed to get
out and explore, push that comfort zone. Now, I trade off. One week I’ll go to
my comfortable Subway shop, the next week I’ll try a new place. It satisfies my
need for stability and my need for the ‘new’ nicely.
Okay, this may seem like a trivial example to explain how
one should explore new and unfamiliar things in life. I realize that, but a lot
of times, people need to start out small before they can tackle the really big
challenges. Wadding into more dynamic things is better than jumping into
the deep end and drowning, proverbially speaking of course. I have come to
understand some things about myself; one of which is, I like learning new
things and exposing myself to unfamiliar situations for the experience of it.
I suppose it feeds into my need for adventure and the want to write about it
later. There have been many times where my efforts to push on my comfort zone have
lead to story inspiration. I like that. Others, however, aren’t so in tune with
their wants and desires. Others aren’t even sure they could challenge themselves
in such a manner.
As the conversation we were having unfolded, I realized that other people need far less constant pressure to give them the motivation they need to try new things and keep life fresh. That different perspective made me think more about why motivation for me might not work for others and vice versa. But as the old saying goes “You won’t know unless you try.” So
I say give it a try, even if it’s just going to a different sub shop. Think
about it this way, you just might find a better tasting sandwich.
Thanks for reading. Questions and comments are always
welcome.
