“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone. If you feel uncomfortable right now, know that the change taking place in your life is a beginning, not an end,” wrote American novelist Neale Donald Walsch.
The comfort zone is a space in which your activities and behaviors become routines, minimizing stress and risk. This area provides you with a feeling of security on an emotional level since you feel discreetly satisfied and experience less anxiety because you do not have to face unknown situations.
However, few things happen in that comfortable space that allow you to continue growing as a person and explore the world around you.
Life is like a book, if you don’t turn the page you won’t know what chapter is in store for you
Think of life like a book. Some chapters are sad, some are happy, some are boring and some are exciting… However, if you don’t turn the page you will never know what the next chapter contains. If you always stay at the same point, rereading the words over and over again, perhaps because you have grown fond of the characters or simply because you feel comfortable with the narrative, you will not be able to advance in the novel of your life.
Of course, routines provide stability and are comforting, but they can also become stale and begin to limit you over time. Habits that previously made your life easier can become a straitjacket that prevents you from continuing to grow.
On the other hand, when you decide to leave your comfort zone and dare to try new things, you give yourself the opportunity to continue exploring other aspects of your personality.
When you dare to turn the page you develop the ability to face the unexpected. By setting yourself new challenges or doing things you normally wouldn’t do, you expose yourself to uncertainty and anxiety in a controlled environment that you can better manage. This will allow you to discover how you react to fear and insecurity. This way you will learn to deal better with those feelings and develop more tools for life, in addition to trusting more your abilities.
Still, your comfort zone is neither good nor bad. It is a natural state that most people tend towards. We all need that mental space where we feel safe and calm. Giving up means taking more risks and experiencing more anxiety, knowing that the results can be positive or negative (often a mix of both). However, staying in it for much of your life is like having a book in your hands and not daring to continue reading.
Life is made to be lived. We should not take unnecessary risks, but we should not settle for languishing in the first chapters either.
Dare to read new pages
Every time you make a decision that takes you out of your routine, you open the door to a new adventure. Imagine that each step outside your comfort zone is an opportunity to immerse yourself in a different story of your life.
These new pages will allow you to see life from other perspectives. Maybe you discover a passion you didn’t know about or maybe you face a difficulty that makes you grow. Each new page is an occasion to learn something about yourself and the world. In that search you will find new vital purposes because each chapter will bring you closer to understanding who you are and what you want to achieve.
Keep your mind open and your heart ready to accept whatever comes. Think of your life like a book. You won’t always have the power to decide the plot twists of the story, but at least you can live it fully. Therefore, do not be afraid to turn the page and explore the unknown. Each new chapter is an opportunity to grow, learn and live. Because in the end, the truly terrible thing will not be having loved and suffered, having laughed and cried, but having been too afraid to miss out on all those things.
