What Zone Are You In?

Step outside of your comfort zone.

Stress stinks. No one likes to walk into a meeting gripped by fear. Nobody likes to be paralyzed by the anxiety about the unknown.

We laugh and joke about FOMO – fear of missing out – but in all honesty, we don’t like stepping out of our comfort zone. It’s much easier to walk into situations when we know the context, where we understand our permissions and are given the authority and freedom to take charge and do what we do best. 

Yet self-esteem doesn’t always come from the areas where we are subject-matter-experts (SME’s). Confidence actually comes from stepping outside of our comfort zone. 

Fear is a feeling that our brain actually stimulates when we start to worry about negative future events. But why do we assume the worst when we start to think about the future? Why can’t we just assume that the best is coming for us? 

Your Comfort-Able Life

The problem lies with how we view our role in the future. Many times, we feel helpless, hopeless, and that our situations are impacted by everything EXCEPT for our own actions. The opposite is true. We are the ones that dictate our future, especially when it comes to our outlook, what we hope for, and whether or not we choose to make life our own.

This point-of-view doesn’t mean that bad things won’t happen. You may have had a rough upbringing. You may have faced terribly unfair circumstances. You even make some mistakes in the near future. 

The goal isn’t perfection. The goal is growth. 

Stepping outside of your comfort zone doesn’t mean changing your life completely. It’s finding one area where you can grow and taking small risks. In fact, business leaders often challenge their staff members to accomplish small victories, one at a time, so that they are often encouraged and willing to keep moving forward. 

Be encouraged, friend. Don’t try to compare yourself to others. Don’t focus on past regrets. Learn from your own mistakes. In fact, learn from the mistakes of others, too. Look within and be your best self.

Francine D. Ward

fRANCINE d. wARD

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