It’s SO common!
We’ve all heard this for years, right?!
In order to get ahead {personally, professionally, emotionally, mentally, physically}, We Must Get Out of Our Comfort Zones. Right? WRONG.
I get the concept. I get the logic. I respect everyone’s viewpoint, lens, perspective… but I also respectfully disagree.
… from deep in my Gut.
… from my deeply processing brain.
… with every fiber of my being.
Why?
This implies that Comfort is wrong or bad.
{I wholeheartedly & emphatically disagree… just in case you weren’t sure where I stood!} 🙂
From babies, to toddlers, on up as we ‘grow up’, comfort is a necessary, innate, & a fundamental human right. To suddenly ‘flip a switch’ as we’re older & say we have to toughen up & now associate Comfort with Pain is wrong.
Over the past year and a half {give or take}, I’ve been deliberately learning more about myself {personality, strengths, temperament, how I work best, etc} & ran across an utterly fascinating, practical, & eyeopening book by Carol Tuttle, called It’s Just My Nature that I HIGHLY recommend!
In Carol’s book, she explains that By Nature, all of us fall into 1 of 4 Types…
Type 1 ~ Air {Nitrogen}
Type 2 ~ Water {Oxygen}
Type 3 ~ Fire {Hydrogen}
Type 4 ~ Earth {Carbon}
As a Type 2 person {incredibly obvious & fascinating once I dove in!}, this is what Carol had to say regarding Comfort…
Making sure life is comfortable for yourself & others is a primary motive in every aspect of your life. Acting appropriately so as not to cause any discomfort for others, wearing comfortable clothing, sitting on comfortable furnishings, enjoying comfortable relationships, consuming comforting foods, sharing comfortable communications – you name it!
You like to touch soft, smooth textures {clothes, baby’s skin, puppies, kittens, stuffed animals, luxurious furniture or bedding, fleece etc}.
Ha! Now do you get it?! Do you know anyone who this describes {or is it You}?! 🙂
So, By Nature, us Type 2s do everything to seek or create comfort. It’s natural & against nature to do otherwise.
{If you’re as fascinated by this stuff as I am & would like to learn more, I’ve put together a PDF summary doc of the highlights of the book. Sign up below & I’ll send it to you!}
Okay, so I LOVE my Comfort Zone & disagree with those that say we can ONLY grow by getting out of it.
HOWEVER… I DO believe very strongly in…
Increasing Our Capacity
I believe that in order to reach the Next Level of Success {however that’s defined by YOU} in our personal, professional, mental, emotional, & physical lives, it requires the acquisition of new skills, habits, knowledge, wisdom, mindset, & ACTION to make baby steps of progression.
By doing the above, we’re deliberately, with Intention, increasing our Capacity to reach the Next Level.
Does that make sense?
Yes, that’s me in the picture above. I’m rock climbing at The Quarry in St Cloud, MN.
I’m afraid of heights. {Yup!}
But I’ve spent PLENTY of time observing others, learning about the safety equipment involved with climbing, & most importantly {to my Highly Sensitive nature}, had 100% encouragement, support, positivity, & patience from my husband, Robin.
Because of him, he empowered me to relax & take the pressure off of myself for #1 ~ having to reach the top & #2 ~ feeling the pressure of time.
Once I had the complete comfort & power to Be Myself, little by little, I was Increasing my Capacity for what’s possible for me mentally, physically, & emotionally, which directly translated to more confidence in both my personal & business life.
Whoo~hoo! 🙂
If I can do it.  So. Can. You.
What ACTION can you take…
1. Today?
2. This Week?
3. This Month?
4. Within 3 Months?
… to help you reach YOUR Next Level of Success via Increasing Your Capacity?
{BTW ~ If you’d like to Increase YOUR Capacity via Rock Climbing, Surfing, Muay Thai, or Snowboarding, seriously check out CliffHanger Academy!!! Not only is the founder, David Mykel seriously one of the coolest guys I know, but his revolutionary method to help you break barriers you didn’t know were holding you back, & give you tools for everyday life is Mind Blowing. (& tell him Crystal says Hi!) 🙂 }
Okay, so what do you think of my stand against the Comfort Zone Pushers?
Anything or any other ideas come to mind?
I’d LOVE to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
& when you read either Carol’s full book or my PDF highlight summary, leave a comment below if you discover YOUR primary Energy Type. Fascinating, empowering, & potentially life changing stuff!
To Our Impact!
~Crystal 🙂