Those were the words of my Saturday morning yoga instructor – the same one who destroyed me early last week and left me determined to come back for more. He continued, reminding us that our discomfort zones were the only place where change could occur.
As if I weren’t already obsessed with this instructor enough, he then went and nailed my life’s mantra, right there in extended side angle pose .
of course, comfort zones are nice, like bottles of wine split over dinners with wonderful friends .
I’ve made a lot of uncomfortable moves over the years. There have been little ones, like tasting new foods, right along with the bigger steps, like moving to the Czech Republic with two suitcases and a college diploma. Perhaps diving into the unknown meant I would inevitably attempt to control another aspect of my life [i.e. appearance], but I don’t regret making the moves I have.
my comfort food, as interpreted by westville [my newest restaurant obsession]: honey dijon brussels sprouts, asian bok choy, sauteed kale and shallots, pesto mashed potatoes. i believe the words “i found god” came up around these plates.
It’s easy to stay in places of safety. Routine is comfortable: you know what to expect, you know exactly what the outcome of every action will be. You can eat the same foods day in and day out. You can complete the same tasks at work. You can perform the same forms of exercise. You can see the same people. Perhaps you can even be content with this forecasted schedule.
But, you will never be challenged. And without challenge, well what makes one year, one month, one day different from the next? Where is the living if you aren’t pushing yourself somewhere new?
of course, we can’t be in our discomfort zones every moment of every day. that’s where comfort food can come in, like peanut butter bomb cupcakes from the brooklyn standard . [thanks to my wonderful friend sofia .]
If I had stuck with the known all my life, I would still be an awkward 14 year old eating cinnamon toast and chocolate milk for breakfast every morning, all the while daydreaming about the future. [Now I can be an awkward 24 year old who eats oatmeal and coffee while actually living in the present.]
I know now that routines are only habits, and no habit is set in stone. Life doesn’t happen by habit; it happens when we go somewhere new. Once you’ve done things like take a day trip to Dresden in order to cross the Czech border, thus renewing your tourist visa and not getting thrown out of the country, those new places don’t seem so scary.
I’m not sure what exactly defines my discomfort zone anymore, but I hope I’ll never stop getting cozy with it. I can only imagine all the changes that lie ahead.
Where is your discomfort zone? When was the last time you pushed yourself into it?
| I hope I’ll always be able to get cozy with my discomfort zone. I can only imagine the great changes that lie ahead. |
Those were the words of my Saturday morning yoga instructor – the same one who destroyed me early last week and left me determined to come back for more. He continued, reminding us that our discomfort zones were the only place where change could occur.
As if I weren’t already obsessed with this instructor enough, he then went and nailed my life’s mantra, right there in extended side angle pose .
I’ve made a lot of uncomfortable moves over the years. There have been little ones, like tasting new foods, right along with the bigger steps, like moving to the Czech Republic with two suitcases and a college diploma. Perhaps diving into the unknown meant I would inevitably attempt to control another aspect of my life [i.e. appearance], but I don’t regret making the moves I have.
It’s easy to stay in places of safety. Routine is comfortable: you know what to expect, you know exactly what the outcome of every action will be. You can eat the same foods day in and day out. You can complete the same tasks at work. You can perform the same forms of exercise. You can see the same people. Perhaps you can even be content with this forecasted schedule.
But, you will never be challenged. And without challenge, well what makes one year, one month, one day different from the next? Where is the living if you aren’t pushing yourself somewhere new?
If I had stuck with the known all my life, I would still be an awkward 14 year old eating cinnamon toast and chocolate milk for breakfast every morning, all the while daydreaming about the future. [Now I can be an awkward 24 year old who eats oatmeal and coffee while actually living in the present.]
I know now that routines are only habits, and no habit is set in stone. Life doesn’t happen by habit; it happens when we go somewhere new. Once you’ve done things like take a day trip to Dresden in order to cross the Czech border, thus renewing your tourist visa and not getting thrown out of the country, those new places don’t seem so scary.
I’m not sure what exactly defines my discomfort zone anymore, but I hope I’ll never stop getting cozy with it. I can only imagine all the changes that lie ahead.
Where is your discomfort zone? When was the last time you pushed yourself into it?