Comfort zone in its current form is a relatively new phenomenon. We live in a time of unprecedented comfort with unlimited food, heating, entertainment, peace. Just a lifetime ago very few people had a comfort zone with their life being dominated by hard toil, lack of everything and frequent war or social unrest. And now “Netflix and chill” is the most mainstream way of life. We always demand comfort, at home, when travelling, when in school, when at work. It has never been possible until now to spend pretty much your whole life in comfort.
But what is the cost of this “progress”? We are uninspired, lazy, fearful, lonely, stupid, fat. Our lives are shallow and lack any meaning. We simply take up space and oxygen. If we know anything about biological life it is that it thrives through adversity. Life is either growing or dying, there is no comfort zone. Humans in constant comfort zone are akin to a decomposing animal cadaver in that that is the only state of life that is free of struggle. And so modern life is waiting to die as opposed to living and thriving.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Getting out of the comfort zone is not as hard as it seems. It is a matter of attitude and incremental momentum building. Opportunities to challenge ourselves are everywhere. Skipping a meal, reading instead of watching, going for a run, doing things differently at work, learning a new skill, going out to social events; we have plenty of opportunity to start small and grow an avalanche. Getting out of comfort zone is hard at first, but growth is exhilarating, and so the rewards are immediate and ongoing. After all you know what they say, “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone”.
Project Courage 