What Happens When You Leave Your Comfort Zone

You have to leave your comfort zone to grow. Your comfort zone might be cozy and nice, but eventually it will get stale and boring. This greeting card from My Heart Beats will encourage someone to leave her comfort zone. 

When we lived in a rural area, we had a large backyard. It was bordered by a neighbor, woods and an open field. When we got our Labrador, we needed to figure out how to keep her contained. It would have been very expensive to put up a physical fence, so we went with the invisible fence option.

When the fence was installed, they her collar on her and had her walk across the fencing. She yelped, they put her back in the yard, and she never tried to cross it again. She loved to wander all over the yard and smell stuff. She'd chase a ball as many times as someone would throw it or until it was thrown beyond the fence. When deer strolled through the yard, she would run after them but always stopped short of the property line. 

Out of curiosity, I held her collar and walked across the fence. That system is no joke. I felt like I was going to have a heart attack. If I knew that pain was on the other side of my yard, I wouldn't leave it either.

But what my dog didn't know is that the pain is temporary. It only happened for a moment. The moment she crossed the line. The pain stopped as soon as she turned back OR as soon as she kept going. If she would have moved forward, she would have been able to experience wonderful smells of the open field. She probably would have found delicious treats under the neighbor's swing set. She may have even discovered the river on the other side of the woods and all the wonders that it holds for a Labrador.

The good news for you is that leaving your comfort zone probably won't require a heart-attack-inducing pain. Oh, there will be pain, but you won't die. And the even better news is that every time you leave, your comfort zone gets bigger and bigger and the pain gets smaller and smaller. You might have good stuff  in your backyard, but I promise you that you will discover a whole new world the more you venture out. 

The story on the back of the She is . . . Comfort Zone Card.

What used to feel cozy and familiar now felt stifling and dull. Yet each time she stepped beyond her boundaries, her heart pounded through her chest. At first it was from fear, but the more she ventured out, the more she realized the pounding was actually from the thrill of new adventures. Exciting things happen outside her comfort zone. 

Celebrate every day,
Kelly