Being in your comfort zone feels great. It usually involves doing something you know, being surrounded by those with whom you feel safe, and navigating topics without creating ripples of discomfort. You can relax, get into the flow, and just be without the pressure and noise of introspection.
This week I blew up my comfort zone when I got on stage at the PPI Rendezvous event to talk about vulnerability and share what makes me feel most vulnerable, i.e., being at an event with a lot of people, speaking on stage, networking, and exposing myself to the risk of being judged. Essentially, I volunteered to participate in my own worst nightmare.
So why did I do it? First, this talk was in the service of helping others grow personally and professionally, and by and large, the attendees at PPI events are some of the warmest, most accepting people you will meet in a professional setting. And second, I needed a dose of my own medicine. In our work with families, we ask them to stretch and to be uncomfortable. We ask them to face the hard truths about their relationships, their businesses, their wealth, and their mortality. While we create a safe environment for unpacking these discussions, these are not warm, fuzzy, comfort zone conversations.
However, what comes from leaning into that zone of discomfort is personal growth, maturity, clarity, and a deeper sense of identity about who you are and who you want to be. It reminds me of the line from one of my favorite poems: It is God’s law that (s)he who learns must suffer. While stretching out of your comfort zone is not the same as suffering, the fruits of that effort can be exceptionally profound and can be transformative for you and those around you.
So, here’s my challenge to you this week: find a way to stretch. Do that thing you’ve avoided, lean into a new activity, an old relationship, or a conversation that is often left to the comfort of complacency. And, if you feel comfortable, send me a note about it - better yet, send me a note even if you feel uncomfortable - I’d love to hear about how you’re stretching.
"Do one thing every day that scares you."
<br/><span class="body-2 opacity-80" style="padding-top:0.75rem">~ Eleanor Roosevelt</span>
"If you want something you've never had, you must be willing to do something you've never done."
<br/><span class="body-2 opacity-80" style="padding-top:0.75rem">~ Thomas Jefferson</span>
"You can choose courage or you can choose comfort. You cannot have both."
<br/><span class="body-2 opacity-80" style="padding-top:0.75rem">~ Brene Brown</span>
