Pushing Through Your Comfort Zone

Our greatest growth in life comes from pushing through our present comfort zone. This process starts at birth. A baby feels safe, warm and secure in its mother's womb. However, to stay there much longer than the gestation period would mean certain death for both the mother and child. Life began for all of us as we left the comfort and security of the womb and faced the strange and unfamiliar world outside. Our first breath is often a painful experience, a cry of protest at temporary discomfort. Yet without this experience, our life would be fleetingly short.

Each milestone of growth and accomplishment for a young child involves leaving an existing comfort zone. The first crawl, the first step, many new, first experiences all push from the familiar into the unknown. For the child the process of pushing through their area of comfort leads to increasing independence and the formation of their unique personality and character.

This foundational principle continues into adult life. In order to enrich our life, it is necessary to step out of our present comfort zone. Personal growth occurs when a person moves out of their area of comfort and into the unknown and challenge of a fresh experience. There is a stage of risk and discomfort before any significant growth in our life. For each of us there comes a point where we hold back and resist. It becomes easier to remain static and comfortable than to keep moving forward.

What holds us back?

Whenever we consider taking on a new project, or venture, or want to put ourselves out there, we feel fear. Fear is natural, and is to be expected. It is our body's way of letting us know we are moving out of our comfort zone. Fear can alert us to possible threats and dangers. However unlike our cave men predecessors, many of the threats today are not life threatening. Fear can warn you and enable you to be more aware and cautious, but need not stop you progressing. If you want to move forward on the journey towards where you want to be, you will have to confront your fears. Unfortunately many people allow fear to stop them, and don't achieve their goals and aspirations.

Fear does not feel comfortable, and many people want to avoid it at all costs. Everyone experiences fear. People who want to be successful feel the fear and do it anyway! Fear is part of the package. Yes, there is always a risk of failure, but that needs to balanced with the old adage "Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained". A child's risk of falling when taking those first faltering steps is high. Yet, what a transformation to a child's life once they have mastered the skill of walking! Limitless possibilities are opened up in the child's life. The falls and tumbles are soon forgotten overshadowed by the new adventures and experiences.

Pushing through to leave your comfort zone is hard work. Nature demonstrates that graphically for us. The chick pecking it's way out of the shell, the butterfly struggling from it's cocoon, illustrate how that struggle is necessary in order to bring life, growth and success.

The good news is that once we have faced our fears and done it anyway, we have moved forward to a new place. Every time we push through and live out of our comfort zone we will never be the same. Growth happens!

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. US Supreme Court Justice, once said "Man's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions."

I believe this is true of not only our mind, but also of who we are as unique people. Life moves into a new dimension through each experience we go through in life.

However there is also the possibility that once we have pushed through our comfort zone into a new place of growth, we rest too long there, and create a different comfort zone!

Let's keep pushing through and moving forward towards growing our uniqueness and living our life fully.

Barbara White, of Beyond Better Development,speaks and writes with passion to inspire and empower people in their journey of personal growth towards the excellence in life that they aspire to.

This article was written for her newsletter Growing Beyond Better. If you would like to receive Growing Beyond Better regularly, you can subscribe for this free newsletter at Barbara's website http://www.livingbeyondbetter.com

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Google News Updated : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:50:00 GMT Axelrod Says Obama Will Counterpunch if McCain Raises Ayres - New York Times Axelrod Says Obama Will Counterpunch if McCain Raises Ayres New York Times - 2 hours ago By Patrick Healy NASHVILLE - Senator Barack Obama is prepared to hit back, including with Keating Five scandal if necessary, if Senator John McCain uses tonight’s presidential debate to attack him over his associations with controversial figures like ... Video: AP Campaign Minute AssociatedPress Palin Adds Fannie Mae Execs to List of Objectionable Obama Associates Washington Post The Associated Press - U.S. News & World Report - FOXNews - Christian Science Monitor all 4,761 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:32:14 GMT Fitch says AMD factory move has no ratings impact - Forbes Canada.com Fitch says AMD factory move has no ratings impact Forbes - 51 minutes ago AP 10.07.08, 3:48 PM ET Fitch Ratings said Tuesday Advanced Micro Devices Inc.'s ratings are not affected by the chip maker's plans to spin off factories into a new joint venture with investors in the Persian Gulf state of Abu Dhabi. What AMD's fab spinoff means for Intel, industry MarketWatch Who Benefits From AMD’s Financial Engineering? New York Times The Associated Press - BusinessWeek - Motley Fool - Bizjournals.com all 656 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:58:11 GMT Get moving: Guidelines set healthy activity levels - The Associated Press ABC News Get moving: Guidelines set healthy activity levels The Associated Press - 38 minutes ago WASHINGTON (AP) - Get moving: New exercise guidelines released Tuesday set a minimum sweat allotment for good health. For most adults, that's 2 1/2 hours a week. Government tells Americans to take stairs, go out and play Bizjournals.com Get 2 1/2 hours of exercise per week, US says Reuters USA Today - Food Consumer - MarketWatch - MyFox Dallas all 183 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:11:51 GMT Fed Announces Plan to Buy Short-Term Debt - New York Times Telegraph.co.uk Fed Announces Plan to Buy Short-Term Debt New York Times - 58 minutes ago By EDMUND L. ANDREWS and MICHAEL M. GRYNBAUM WASHINGTON - The Federal Reserve announced a radical new plan on Tuesday to jump-start the engine of the financial system. Fed makes boldest move yet Christian Science Monitor Federal Reserve to buy up short-term commercial debt Los Angeles Times Bloomberg - NECN - The Associated Press - Wall Street Journal all 1,716 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:51:44 GMT Kenya deports anti-Obama author - Christian Science Monitor BBC News Kenya deports anti-Obama author Christian Science Monitor - 4 hours ago Jerome Corsi, author of "Obama Nation: Leftist Politics and the Cult of Personality," tried to launch his new book, but violated immigration rules, Kenyan officials say. Barack Obama's African grandmother Sarah Onyango Obama roots for him Times Online Anti-Barack Obama author detained while promoting his book in Kenya Los Angeles Times AFP - The Associated Press - New York Times - BBC News all 507 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:09:55 GMT Study: Using fan on sleeping baby reduces risk of SIDS - San Jose Mercury News dBTechno Study: Using fan on sleeping baby reduces risk of SIDS San Jose Mercury News - 8 hours ago By Linda Goldston Ayde Gonzales's mother was surprised when she insisted that her newborn son must sleep on his back, not on his side. Fan Use May Save Your Baby’s Life, Reduces SIDS Risk eFluxMedia Fan in Room Seems to Cut Infants’ Risk of Crib Death New York Times Bloomberg - Wall Street Journal - U.S. News & World Report - WebMD all 612 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:46:19 GMT Union-Backed Party Opposes Term Limits Plan - New York Times New York Daily News Union-Backed Party Opposes Term Limits Plan New York Times - 1 hour ago By Fernanda Santos The Working Families Party began on Tuesday the labor community’s first major offensive against Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s plan to change term limit laws through legislation that would extend to three, from two, the number of terms ... UPDATE 1-NYC lawmakers to weigh bill raising term limits Reuters Bill to end term limits introduced in City Council New York Daily News New York Times Blogs - WNYC - Campaigns & Elections - Crain's New York Business all 331 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:15:23 GMT Turn Affiliate Datafeed into RSS Amazon RSS

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