The "Comfort" Zone

Comfort noun

1. 1.

   a state of physical ease and freedom from pain or constraint.
2. 
   

I find it ironic that something that is so restricting and limiting can be called a "Comfort" Zone! Yet so many people live their lives, restricted and limited by the the belief that they are 'comfortable' when, in fact, it is more a case of fearing anything outside the boundaries as set out by the "Comfort Zone" they've created themselves. 

They mistake the fast beating heart rate, the sweaty palms, the butterflies in their stomach for being uncomfortable, when instead, they should realise it is not a feeling being uncomfortable, but the feeling of living!! 

People have great ideas and often wish they could do something, but don't act because something always holds them back. Usually an array of reasons they create to stop them admitting to themselves it's a little out of their comfort zone and they don't want to get uncomfortable.

There are so many things I have done where I have felt that awkward feeling, where my voice feels like it is trembling, but I channel the anxiety and tell myself "This is the feeling of being alive" there are still so many things that I would deem as being outside my Comfort Zone, but will that stop even trying? Hell No!!

My husband is a great example of this. He knows what he wants and he will get it. Period! When he worked in London the journey took 2 hours... each way!! And between train and tube fees, not only did it take a long time, it was costly too.  Whilst walking between stations he saw a few other commuters on "Adult Scooters" and I don't mean the motorised kind either...  Always one to try and save on anything, he decided to invest in an Adult Scooter!!

Needless to say, when he told us his plans we did all have a giggle! But not to be put off, and in June 2015 we headed to the shops and bought him a scooter. The kids were green with envy. You try and tell a 9 year old and 6 year that Daddy wasn't buying a toy! 

So, with his new foldable scooter, he cancelled his tube tickets and in less than a month, made the money back he spent on the Scooter.. This continued for the following month and although wasn't a huge change in time, it was saving us a little money. He still had jokes from the family about it, but his defense was... "I am saving money" he was never put off, he knew what he was doing and why.

But that was just the start. The cogs had begun to turn. The scooter had sparked something and by the end of July of 2015 he thought "I wonder how much money AND time I could save if I got a motorbike"  this coming from a 30-something bloke who had never even sat on a motorbike in his entire life, let alone ride one! So, he decided to book his CBT.

By the beginning of September , he had passed his CBT, looked, found, bought and had delivered a brand new Honda CB125F and was taking his very first, unsupervised, tentative ride ride to the petrol station, with me following behind in the car... doing 20mph on a 30mph street with a queue of cars behind us!

He went out a few times in the local area and did a few test runs up to London. The thought of travelling to London during rush hour, was still a huge concern and a massive stretch on the good old Comfort Zone. Eventually he bit the bullet and did it. Now, in April 2016, he just passed his full test!

This coming from the guy who had never sat on a bike before!

It is amazing what you can do if you let go of the invisible restraint  you call your Comfort Zone and realise that anything is possible! Stop restricting yourself with self-limiting beliefs and go out and experience the feeling of being alive. Go for the things you always want and don't let a silly thing like comfort hold you back!!

We Rise By Lifting Others

I absolutely love this quote! I have previously worked in industries where pushing people down and climbing over them was the only way to move forward and get ahead. You needed to be in with the right people, it didn't matter if you were good at your job, that promotion was going to the person within the clique! You know, the person's head you couldn't see because it was so far... (you get the point)

I left that industry in mid-2011 to start my own Childminding business so I could be with my children. But it wasn't 'me' I wasn't doing what I was meant to do. It was great while my children were younger, but as soon as they were both in full time school it felt as though I hardly saw them, and when I did, I had other kids with me so my attention was diluted!.

In 2014 I was introduced to the business I have now, and believe me, at first I was incredibly dubious about it, but at the time decided, what the heck, and went for it. I was still doing my Childminding as that was giving me my main source of income... The other business was giving me something more valuable!

From the very start, I was encouraged to do Personal Development. Now I know I have banged on about this subject in previous blogs, but it really has been a significant thing in my life. Over the following months I read, attended various events, conferences and grew myself. I was given so much love, support and guidance by my mentors. I was beginning to see that actually, there are other, more fulfilling ways to get to where you want to be, that did't require putting people down. Quite the opposite in fact!

After the Stroke and losing my Childminding business, I decided that now was the perfect time to really get in to what I truly believed I was supposed to do. What I was put here to do! However, I knew I would not be able to do it on my own and that I needed to ask for help. So that is what I did!

I was so overwhelmed to find so many people offering to come to my aid in various different ways. When it came to re-launching my business one lady got in touch, someone I didn't know and had never met before... She wanted to help me! For no other reason, but to help! 

On the day of the re-launch, I had not one, but three amazing ladies come to help me, not only that but they drove well over an hour to get to me... Again, for no gain whatsoever! They were just incredible and so generous with themselves. I am grateful that I now get to call these women, friends!

It has made me so much more passionate about showing people that it is not what we do for ourselves that counts, but what we do for others! If people stopped trying to 'one up' the person next to them and instead put their efforts in to building them up, we would live in a much nicer place.

Don't get consumed with negativity, jealously, hatred  and anger.. It gets you no where! It clouds your judgement and causes you to react in ways that do not benefit you in the long run. Do something kind for someone, for no reason and no gain, except for the personal gain you get, when you smile inside to yourself because you feel good