How to Stop Limiting Yourself

You can only grow if you are willing to feel uncomfortable and uncomfortable when you try something new. "~ Brian Tracy

I love my comfort zone and I hate it. It's safe, but if I stay there too long it starts to feel like a cage. No wild creature is happy in the kraal, and we are all wild creatures at heart.

Indeed, we love the honesty of well-being, dress, safety and love. It is my opinion anyway (just created for this moment) that we are meant to hunt, seek, struggle, engage with a world that does not offer guarantees.

Like a caged animal, we are under tremendous pressure to play safely. "Safety" offers no challenges, no growth, and nothing new. Without those things we wither and die inside; we watch a lot of TV, we eat junk food, we faint.

Could it be that the prevalence of depression in First World countries is due to the fact that our lives do not contradict ourselves as needed?

We all need exercise to stay healthy. Muscles need to be broken to gain strength. Do our hearts and minds also need a challenge to thrive?

About eighteen months ago I got sick. It was a strange and unusual tumor that caused great pain, enough pain to take me to the hospital at three o'clock in the morning.

Eventually, the tumor healed and the pain subsided. It didn't go away; it just stopped hurting me. In the meantime, I was very careful, controlled, and gave up my life. I was scared and limited. I lost all hope.

My world became very small and I relied heavily on those close to me. I wasn't that good. I lost my friendship.

Now I am rebuilding it. It's not always easy, but I'm on my way back.

I can see now that my comfort zone is uncomfortable. My fears and limitations have pushed the boundaries of my life, and that is a small cage to live in.

That's not the way I want to live. I miss so many sweet moments and I want that energy and go back. I want to go into the dark and into the bright light, where life is colorful again.

I want my life back.

If you also need to expand your comfort zone, you can benefit from using the following tutorials:

1. Be honest.

Ask questions. Be truly clear about the truth for you. What do you think? How do you feel? What do you want? What is useful? What is the truth?

The truth may be hard to take, but it puts you in a good position. You can move forward on solid ground.

To me, I now “call myself” the lie that I have the power to make a change.

2. Change is possible.

We can make changes. You may have had a healthier life before and you can do it again. Know that you can change and try new things.

When I decide that I am a victim, it is a lie. It's just not true. Admittedly, when I was sick the change could be very difficult, but that is not true.

3. Change is unpleasant, and that's fine.

It does not come without danger. We cannot live in our own comfort zone and expand at the same time. Growing up will be difficult. It will feel wrong. Do it anyway.

The only way to find the perfect comfort is to do things without it. Then repeat.

4. Changes happen step by step.

The changes may seem overwhelming at first, but they're just a series of small steps. They are just a small set of actions. They are the sum of the things you do, day in and day out.

A small change in trajectory is a big change over time. It does not happen all at once.

5. Explore the possibilities.

Every day, make a list of things that can take you where you want to go. Make a list of ways you can improve your life. Make a list of solutions. Make a list of “could do’s”.

You don't even need to keep a list. Good will stick. They will appear again and again as your favorite muppet.

6. Take one small risk a day.

Set yourself one small risk. Commit to it. That means you have to do it. No second guess. He said he would do it; you do! It may not be the "right" action, but that doesn't matter. It's something you've chosen to try.

7. All actions are tempting.

Not every small risk will pay off, but that’s life, that’s learning. Every action will teach you something.

I did well in school; it took me a long time to be relieved of the failures and actually "learned to read." Health school is a better and harder teacher. This is my school right now.

8. Courage is more important than success.

I heard Brené Brown say, "Courage is more important than success." I have that on my wall. I think that's true. Taking small risks can make me feel alive. Another word for “fear” is “joy.”

9. Accident creates stress.

We gain strength by practicing hard work, failing, and getting up again. It is the way we build emotional muscles. Really, cry, share your humiliation with someone you trust, and get up and take the next step. Being bold sounds scary and good.

So, right now, I'm extending the invitations knowing that I might be denied. I dedicate myself to writing projects that may not be published. I open up a lot to those close to me and really bring them in.

I open my world one step at a time, and it’s scary and fun. The colors are bright on the edges of my comfort zone.