Keep on doing the same thing and you can definitely expect the same result. That’s what I believe people call their “Comfort Zone.” Don’t be fooled – this is not your “safe house.” This is a place of false security, mediocrity and moderation. Laziness, complacency and excuses can be found here too (the picture above describes this concept perfectly).
Your comfort zone is a place where you can comfortably exist. But don’t you rather want to live? Trying something new and different can be scary. We tend not to “go there” out of fear avoidance. However, fear in small doses is a good thing. As long as you can recognise that fear is an emotion that can be controlled, you’ll be able to move on to great things. Have you ever had that feeling of pure joy, freedom and an overriding emotion of love – where in that moment in time absolutely nothing else in the world matters? (some of my list includes the day she said”yes”, wedding day, birth of my kids, start of my first ironman, finish of my first ironman, jumping off a cliff into a waterfall rock pool, going sub-3 hours for a marathon, presenting at the World Congress for Chiropractors and Osteopaths).
Vicky and I worked our butts off in 2014 and rewarded ourselves (and kids) a family holiday to Merimbula, NSW. It’s a beautiful place with so much to see and do. One of the days we drove via Nethercote (hinterland) on our way to Eden. We walked/hiked to the Nethercote Falls which is well worth the effort if you’re in the area. There is a perfect cliff face to climb and jump off into the waterfall rock pool (that you’re not really supposed to do, but it was just so much fun I couldn’t resist!!!). The experience of the jump can be summarised into 4 parts…
- Overwhelming feeling of fear
- Taking control of your emotions
- “Leap of faith” into the unknown
- Exhilaration, joy and love
Any time you venture outside of your comfort zone, you’ll have doubts and concerns. You need to “back yourself”, have faith in your ability and just go for it!
A couple of quotes to finish off with…
“You never, never know unless you have a go.” – Dr A Terrett (my Neurology and Orthopedics lecturer at uni)
“I’d rather regret the things I have done than the things that I haven’t.” – Lucille Ball