It’s human nature to want things to be comfortable, and I believe that this can be a powerful cause of unhappiness in the World. Because what it does is create comfort zones; patterns of repetition that we are used to, and hold on to because they seem familiar and safe. But comfort zones don’t just form patterns in physical form, they also form patterns of ideas in our heads; we get used to ‘doing’ and ‘thinking’ in certain ways, and we keep thinking and acting in those same ways because it is all we think we know (and of course, because it is comfortable).
Or maybe we just don’t think about it at all?
In reality, being in a comfort zone isn’t exactly comfortable; in fact, it’s the opposite! When we get stuck in zones of repetition the only reason it feels comfortable is because we are avoiding change, and just the very idea of change evokes another element of human nature – fear.
So what’s the big deal you might ask? If it’s human nature to be comfortable and to avoid fear, why not just let things be? The answer is simple really, because the primary trigger for lasting happiness and being content as a human is GROWTH. When we grow as people, I mean fundamentally improve ourselves, the way we think, the way we treat others, the way we handle conflict and every element of what makes us ourselves, we feel good. I’m not just talking about a short-term hit, I’m talking about that long-term, deep down, no one can take it away from me, ‘I FEEL GOOD’ feeling!
In the absence of comfort zones, we can not only skyrocket our personal development but we can allow ourselves to do way more of the meaningful things that also make us feel good.My advice is to ruthlessly hunt your comfort zones down and eliminate them.Everything you do as a professional can be better, and any resistance you feel to me making that statement is, in fact, a demonstration of the magnetic power of one’s comfort zones.
The title of this email has now been added to my list of personal quotes. I wrote it on our ‘Quote Wall’ at The Launch Pad this week when I caught myself resisting change for the sake of embracing what is comfortable.