Leaving your comfort zone

A daydream that I once had began with me standing at a dock. Every day I would watch as somebody else jumped in while I stood still, concerned it would be too cold. After a few days, I lowered my body into the water. It was cold, but soon enough I didn’t want to get out. The next day I jumped in without waiting. The impact of the cold was less, and I adjusted to the temperature much faster than the day before. I didn’t want to get out. The water was beautiful. The following day I took a run and jumped out as far as I could. The water caught me, and I adjusted to the temperature almost immediately. Why didn’t I do this the first day? I believe that too often we fear the unknown. We are afraid of the impact. Once you realize how quickly we adapt, it becomes a question of just how far you are willing to throw yourself into the unknown. 

When you throw yourself into the unknown, the feeling of commitment to the action is visceral. It’s what wholehearted commitment feels like. It’s the feeling you get when your feet have left the dock and your body has not yet hit the water, yet your mind has already accepted the impact. In my perception of reality, the water is always there to catch me. I live by the idea that life begins at the end of my comfort zone and that I will always adapt. Taking action can be hard and uncomfortable — you have to believe that you will always adjust and that manifesting something you don’t currently have will come only through taking new actions.

Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.