Comfort is all about staying safe. It is all about things being predictable and life without demands. Comfort can be a very good thing – unless you want to grow and succeed in life. Comfort keeps us where we are, giving us no reason to challenge ourselves, learn new things, or discover what we’re capable of doing.
Are you stuck in your comfort zone?
“Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose.” – Yoda
Ok, recent times have been odd, and we know that your comfort zone is a space you create around yourself where you feel safe. But, you can become trapped in this space and not even realise it because you have become accustomed to the way you do things and how you are living.
Staying in your comfort zone keeps you from realizing you are denying yourself the possibility of living a fulfilling, purposeful life and playing in the field of possibilities.
Five signs you are stuck in your comfort zone
1. You aren’t motivated to start any new projects or make plans for something new. Aka losing your mojo.
2. You have a fear of taking risks and missing out on good opportunities. You don’t have to take silly, big risks – try a little baby one right now… Perhaps go for the orange lipstick instead of beige – guys too 🙂
3. You’ve done things the same way for years. You have the same routine you do for everything. Today, keep taking the left instead of right or straight on – who knows where you will end up…
4. You fight against new ideas. Especially ones that don’t fit into your current routine or ideals.
5. You aren’t learning new things that will actually make a difference in your life.
What would you add to your list – given that you know yourself so well? My invitation is to take each one and to turn it into a question. E.g. You fight against new ideas, can become, who would I be if I embraced new ideas? You can then go on to do an ideas storm for where you want to go next. Perhaps this will lead to your brilliant vision?
Exploring your purpose
It’s impossible to know your purpose without some level of self-reflection. To reveal your purpose, asking the right questions will help you get the results you seek. Reflect on the answers when you ask yourself these questions. Keep an open mind, and you will emerge with an open heart.
Your first step in the new chapter in the book of your life is instead of thinking about what defined you before, consider who you are now and who you want to become.
Here are some questions for your journal
- How would you spend your time if you only had one year to live? When we have a deadline, we are more likely to focus on the important stuff and let everything else go. Be aware of what comes to mind. These are the things worthy of consideration. Could you spend your life engaged in these interests?
- How do you want to be remembered by others? How will your children, friends, family and your community (tribe) remember you? Consciously think about how you’d like others to remember you and put a plan together to live your life that way.
- What did you love doing as a child? What did you spend hours doing as a child that you no longer do? As young children, we aren’t concerned about what others think, and we’re clear on what we like and don’t like. I was often lost in my imagination, having fun creating stories and following my intuition.
We do things because we like them until we become teenagers and social pressure with the need to impress others steers us away from what we love to do. Adulthood finds us concerned with the practicality of our choices. We just lose sight of what we want doing what others say we should…
- What level of discomfort can you handle? Everything has an uncomfortable, boring, rough, or awful side at some point. Your life purpose will be no different. Rejection is just a part of the journey. How will you deal with it?
- Who inspires you now? Think about the people that you respect and admire. What about them inspires you? Could you incorporate them into your own life in some way?
This last question is the one that I love the most. My role is to inspire my clients to become the inspiration that they seek.
“If you want more hope for your future, go help someone else and have more hope for their future.” Germany Kent
I believe that we are at a point in humanity where we all have to step up and be good role models – to inspire others to be and become.
It’s like a set of dominos. If I can inspire you to create that thing that is dear to your heart and very existence – then you will, if you take action, inspire someone else.
Where next?
All of this contemplating will hopefully move you out of your comfort zone into the field of possibilities and got you thinking, mmm, where next?
When there is purpose in your life, you have a driving need to follow certain goals, live a specific way and not be wandering each day aimlessly without a particular direction. Purpose keeps you motivated to continue working on your goals, even when the task is difficult, or you face obstacles. It gives your life meaning, brings more joy into everything you do and gives a brighter outlook for your future.
People who have a purpose in life tend to enjoy life (and are healthier) more than those who do not have a clear life purpose. They know what they want and go after it. They have a clear idea of what they want from life and a definite plan for how to achieve a fulfilling and joyful life.
- Ask yourself questions that require you to look deep into what you want. Hopefully, you have already done that with the questions above.
- Connect to your heart and ask it to guide you.
- Meditate and listen to your heart’s desires.
- Dig deep in your journal and then reflect. It’s in the reflection that the aha’s come.
Self-reflection and knowing your inner self are required in order to find your life purpose. Ask yourself the necessary, tough questions and listen to the answers. Listen to the whispers of your soul.
Take time to find your life purpose. It takes work and can be eye-opening. However, when you do find your purpose, you become focused on living your life to meet that purpose.
Once you have a good idea of life’s purpose, the next step is to determine how to incorporate the knowledge into your life. Wishes and ideas are the easy part; it’s the implementation that is challenging.
Just so you know, my purpose is to inspire others to create something of meaning so that they can become an inspiration to others.
My vision is of a world where each of us inspires someone else in some way to be who we are meant to be. To be bold and to undertake passion projects.
My mission is to create a community with inspiring people from all walks of life, who do one thing each day to make themselves and the world a better place.
Call me idealistic, but I believe that each of us has the capacity for great love and we have enough of this love energy to share a bit of it each day so that our fellow humans can connect in commUNITY with us to inspire others to be their best selves.
It just takes a little step outside of our rigid comforting areas into this vast expanse field of possibilities and do the things that are fulfilling, purposeful and full of meaning.
Do I always feel warm and fuzzy about life? Of course not? I have my moments when I could smack someone in the face for being a [insert swear word of your choice]. But as my dear mum says – I am only human – it’s allowed.
And as the beautiful Heather Small sings – what have you done today to make you feel proud?
Perhaps you feel inspired, ready to rock and ready to BE BOLD?
Start here with the Exploring Purpose E-Book