Comfort Zone vs. Courage

"Life begins outside of your comfort zone"…you've heard it all your life, right? The battle of comfort zones vs. courage is one that each of us have fought at one point or another! 

Your comfort zone is the space that you feel safe and in control (two things that humans crave). While they provide a sense of stability, they thrive on predictability and can be the breeding ground for complacency.

Your courage on the other hand is the catalyst for change. It is what ends the complacency and drives you forward into new experiences and uncharted territories. When you tap into your courage, you embrace your ability to act despite your fears. 

Most of the time we are told that we should always be on the courageous side…that our comfort zones are a bad place to sit. But what if we think of them as two besties (they say opposites attract!) that have very different goals and needs but that can coexist in the most amazing way? 

I think that's what life is truly all about…it's not all or nothing, black or white, only comfort zones or only being courageous. I think that both sides offer some really wonderful things to our lives and that the true magic is found when we can find a good balance between the two of them!

Here are some ways to help you find the balance and live a life filled with growth, opportunities, and fulfillment: 

1. Gradual Expansion

Start by adding in tiny things that are outside of your comfort zone. Things that stretch you a little bit but don't make you feel completely out of control. As you add them into your life and they become easier you will soon see them as part of the comfort zone area and can continue to expand more!

2. Embracing Failures

You are going to fail, let's just get that out in the open! We all fail at some point, it is part of life and actually a really great part if we let it be! Our failures teach us lessons that propel us forward..they are the biggest component for growth! So rather than beat yourself up over them, the next time you fail give yourself a high-five because girlfriend, you didn't fail you are experiencing growth!

3. Find Your Support Squad

Different relationships fill our cups for different things. Having friends that understand you is super important when it comes to finding balance between comfort zones and courage. We all need the cheerleader friend that pushes us to try new things and encourages us when we feel like we can't do something that we really want to do. Just as important though are the friends that understand when we need to just be. They see us when we are running on empty and remind us to pause and take some time to recharge. In a perfect world you are surrounded by a squad of people that includes both kinds.