Continuing my discussion with the younger me…
Keep my head down, play by the rules, avoid scary, stay in the framework, never get in trouble, and all will turn out dreamy. If it felt scary or I wasn’t comfortable, the younger me believed it wasn’t for me. Little did I know then that those were the very things that I should have been pursuing.
With clairvoyant hindsight, I can recognize the growth monuments along my path. Without fail, each time I grew, made progress, or ended up better, it was because I stepped out or was forced out of my comfort zone.
I can also look back and regret the opportunities missed or not taken.
No matter how much you fight to stay in that zone, however, it’s not always your choice. Whether you want to or not, there will be times when you get shoved outside of your comfort zone. How will you deal with it?
You’re going to get laid off.
Your family will have a crisis.
Somebody close to you will hurt you.
You will have to give the presentation.
You will have an existential crisis of faith.
These things are coming. You can count on it. With a mindset that recognizes opportunities, not only can you deal with them, but you can grow through them.
The more you live with sweaty palms, weak knees, and the tension of discomfort, the better equipped you will be to handle them.
Expose yourself to emotional danger.
