Ep 29: What Life is Really Like In Your Comfort Zone
What’s up, Podcast Nation! I’m so glad you’re here. Have you heard a quote, and even though it’s brief, stops you in your tracks? I had an experience like that this last week. And it’s the basis for this week’s episode…
“You can’t fulfill your calling in your comfort zone.”
– Steven Furtick
So, what do you think about that quote? How does it strike you? Let’s unpack this a bit…
First of all, what is a comfort zone? We all probably instinctively know what this phrase means, but I find it really helpful to dig in by simply looking at the definition, no assumptions made. According to Google, it means “a place or situation where one feels safe or at ease and without stress.”
Can you picture a scenario where that is the case in your life? It could be having dinner with friends, Sunday afternoon naps (my personal favorite), or something else I want us to consider…
Zero gravity environment
Wait, what?? But think about it. In a zero gravity environment, there is no pressure (providing you have air and all the other requirements of life) on your body. I did some research into what this environment does to people and here’s what I found…
In a Zero Gravity Environment, according to NASA, “muscles atrophy quickly, because the body perceived it does not need them. The muscles used to fight gravity—like those in the calves and spine, which maintain posture—can lose around 20% of their mass if you don’t use them Muscle mass can vanish at a rate as high as 5% a week.”
“For bones, the loss can be even more extreme. Bones in space atrophy at a rate of about 1% per month, and models suggest that the total loss could reach 40 to 60 percent!”
It also affects our blood. Again according to NASA, our blood pressure is about 2.5 times higher in our feet than in our head (also called a pressure gradient), because of gravity and the weight of our body above our feet.
And with a higher blood pressure in the head, our bodies read this as dangerous and can lose as much as 22% of their blood volume as a result.
This affects our heart and because there’s less blood to pump, our heart itself starts to atrophy. (!!?!)
Additionally, in space astronauts physical appearance can change. Without the normal pressure gradient we’re used to on Earth, their faces generally become more puffy and their legs thin out due to fluids being redistributed around the body.
While this is a pretty impactful list of affects, there’s actually so much more (this is a great topic to research if it interests you!).
But the point is, a complete comfort zone doesn’t actually exist.
We may feel weary of gravity or the winds of resistance or in our relationships, but the truth is, there is no true comfort zone.
Like I mentioned in a previous episode, one of the universal laws, The Law of Constant Change, states that nothing ever stays the same. It’s either growing of it’s shrinking. Consider a glass of water, our lungs, our bank accounts, our waistlines… Always changing.
So… if we live our lives in a comfort zone, we start to atrophy. It may not be obvious at first. It may be our desire to try new things. Or it may be our follow through. Or it may be our lack of going after that ideal client (even though you’d love working with them!).
With that in mind, here’s the interesting thing. It’s actually MUCH safer to live outside of our comfort zone.
That might sound jarring but I invite you to look at the idea of what’s out of our comfort zones in a different light.
When we push ourselves, even slightly outside of our comfort zones, look at what can happen.
– Our bones actually get stronger when we walk more (I was actually a participant in a study on this in college, so I’ll never forget it)
– We gain a different perspective and see opportunities we might have missed before. Simply because we changed where we’re standing.
– Other people are usually standing outside our comfort zone. And the quality of our lives usually build down to the quality of our relationships.
– Life is outside of our comfort zones.
Now, I get taking a breather. And I love when I get to take it easy just like everyone else. So, this is not a guilt trip (we’ve all been one one too many of those), and this is not me telling you to do the things you dread and none of the things you want to do.
I’m simply inviting you to take one step out of your comfort zone TOWARD your big goal. Then, take moment. And look around. I promise life will look different and even more hope-filled when you move just a couple steps from where you’re standing now.
Unsure of how to make this happen? Well, I’m never one to leave someone guessing! I’ve created a special worksheet just for you to help you make a savvy decision on where to make that next step.
If this sounds like exactly what you’ve been looking for, click HERE to get your step-by-step guide for free.
Remember you can’t live your calling (or your best life) inside your comfort zone.
