Why is it so hard to break from the crowd?
Wouldn’t it be nice to say, “you know what? I think I’m going to do this thing instead, without feeling fear?”

Way back in the day …. like way, way back …. to when we were hunters and gatherers, it was dangerous to break from the crowd. The clan helped each other stay alive by fighting off bears and wolves as a group; they hunted together; they gathered their berries and shared, leaving no one behind.

So nice.

And when a fed-up clan member would decide, “Hey, you know what? I’m going to make it on my own. I’m not into this clan anymore. See ya later.” I’m sure the rest of the clan would say something like, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. I mean, you remember what happened to our cousin … and…and … that bear interaction. It wasn’t pretty. Not a good choice, dude. Stay with the clan.”

It would go something like that.

This fear of walking away from the pack became imprinted in our DNA. Yes, that’s right, folks. Did I blow your mind?

And, now this is what we call our comfort zone. That safe haven which keeps us aligned with the pack; the place where the majority of people do what everyone else does. We were programmed that way for our well-being.

But it’s 2020 everyone. Thank goodness most of us aren’t fending for our lives on an hourly basis. It’s ok to break from the crowd. (And, my heart goes out to anyone that is fending for their lives on an hourly basis.)

Everything in your life is just inside your comfort zone. And everything you desire or want that you haven’t yet acquired is right outside of your comfort zone. To live a truly fulfilled life, we need to step outside of our comfort zone even if it means passing by a few bears.

How often do you find yourself doing things, but you don’t know why you are doing them? Do you do them because someone told you that’s what you do? Do you even remember when you started those habits?

Think about when you were a kid, and you asked the question, “why?”. After about three “why’s,” the adult would say, “just, BECAUSE.” Really!? And the smart kid would surmise, “hmmm, I bet he doesn’t know why either.”

Fear is excitement without the breath.

fritz perls

Most people stay in their comfort zone with their embedded habits until they are forced out; they often fear to take the leap themselves. Frequently, people don’t look to others to find inspiration on how to escape their comfort zone, or if they do, they say, “Oh, he got lucky. He escaped that sneaky bear and got to the other side.”

It’s especially so with family. We tend to follow our own tribe and their history of habits.

Fear isn’t a negative thing. It will always be around because we need it sometimes, for instance, when we actually do see the bear.

What we need to do with fear is find a way to understand it and to replace it with positive emotion, like…excitement!

Coaches help their clients to get outside of their comfort zone, identify the habits that no longer serve them, and stretch them with goals, so their comfort zone expands.

What will it take for you to stretch yourself outside your comfort zone? It doesn’t have to be a massive step to start. Just a little pressure on the boundaries of your comfort.


image by the uber-talented Jennifer Mayes of Far From Pretty. Follow her on Instagram or check out her website. ?

hello & welcome.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Search
Explore Categories

Popular Posts

Don't Miss

Favorites from the blog

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

A Freebie just for you!

Free download title here

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.