Comfort free zone

Life lessons come in many forms. Sometimes it's when you least suspect it. At the beginning of the year when catching up with kids I often do an inventory asking where they are now compared to a year ago.   There are times I think I know what's going to be said. Sometimes I'm wrong.

At one point I was met with a vacant stare and watched as wheels were spinning at the question posed. What had changed? Nothing. As we chatted there was the question of what do you do when you're in the same place? When you feel like you're in a rut? When every day is already mapped out and monotony rules.

My feeling is that complacency is a combination of fear, laziness and even confusion. We chatted and this is what we came up with -> danger is found in not only complacency, but getting stuck in the "comfort zone".  Break free . Go beyond what may have been acceptable and stretch yourself to do new, challenging things. Life is not being fully lived if you are comfortable all the time. Be uncomfortable.
Here are a few ideas we threw together::: take a class to learn something new (web design, salsa dancing, pottery, flute lessons etc.), volunteer at your local soup kitchen, help build a house with habitat for humanity, sit with a new group at lunch, learn a new hobby (cooking, snowboarding, carpentry) or take a day trip to somewhere that isn't exactly a to b coordinated.
Be different. Allow yourself to be stretched, challenged and occasionally, uncomfortable. It's amazing when our eyes are open and our ears are receptive where the road can lead and the lessons that can be learned. Bring it on...