Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

“Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be.” – George Sheehan

I was in the park watching two brothers play.  The older brother was running with a ball and his little brother chased him.  The two were laughing but the look on the little brothers face had me mezmoried.  His concentration was on following his brothers each step.  He wasn’t trying to catch his brother or get the ball.  With each foot landing he looked focused on the pure joy of feeling his foot hit the ground.  He looked present and in each moment as it happened, he was happy and I was inspired.  He was doing what children do.  He was being himself.

As we grow older we sacrifice the joy of being present, and just being ourselves.  We put on masks to fit in.  We let go of who we are to live up to some expectation of who we should be.  But it’s never too late to become who we were meant to be.  It takes courage, vulnerability and commitment to push yourself outside of your comfort zone to find who you are and maybe return to childlike presence where each step we take is taken in pure joy of the moment.

Tonight I started a five week workshop with Mastin Kipp (author of thedailylove.com).  The workshop titled Mastering Your Relationships started with 30 minutes of Kundalini Yoga.  Why did I take the course?  I’ve been closed off to love for many years.  I believe I was meant to be a GREAT dad and husband.  I was also inspired to practice what I preach.  I never tried yoga and I loved it!  It was really hard!  My body is aching!  I got so much out of the course and have 4 more meetings where I’ll be challenged to practice the lessons.  I’m really uncomfortable.  I’m having to look at aspects of myself that I need to change.  I’m challenged to practice behavior that is outside of my comfort zone.

Some of you might think that isn’t being in our comfort zone returning to childlike feeling of being present?  I guess it could be.  Ask yourself, is your comfort zone a safe place from who you believe you need to be?  Do you leave work and become another person?  Do you worry about maintaining a certain image around some of your friends?  It may feel good to be isolated in our own home where we can finally just be yourself, but it’s amazing to feel like you can be yourself wherever you go.  The courage to push yourself outside of your comfort zone more often comes with the opportunity to fining greater adventures that make you uncomfortable.  Who might you be if you practice the courage to be who you were meant to?