“Fix your mind on the aim first. The body will follow”
There are many people who live in fear and lethargy, unable to face challenges. This happens because they are not bold enough to leave behind their comfort zones. Roberta Babb, a clinical psychologist, says that comfort zones are like a prison or a trap. You will never be able to come out of it. You will feel secure when you are in a comfort zone. But, it is only an illusion. Get ready to face the situation which you fear to face. Be bold.
Some people have excessive stage fear. They have no courage to face an audience. They try to escape whenever they get a chance. It is true that they are able to evade the situation. But, they are not at all benefited by it. On the other hand, if a person succeeds to speak a couple of words before an audience even though timidly, he has the victory. What is the use of criticizing the darkness? Instead, light up a candle to dispel the darkness. Similar are the challenges like stage fear. We cannot conquer it without first facing it.
As a first step, you take up a small challenge. When you have succeeded in it, encounter a larger one. In this way, you will be able to come out of your comfort zone and succeed in life gradually.
If you try to avoid anything out of fear, you will not grow. Do what you fear and think impossible. That will increase your self-confidence. When you take up positive risks, you will be filled with new energy. Studies say that positive changes in the body happen with self-esteem and confidence. Because the body produces creative hormones during these moments.
Susan Jeffers, the author of the book ‘Feel the fear and do it anyway’, says that we must take small but stern steps to come out of our comfort zones. This will increase your self-confidence gradually. You must say to that which you fear: ‘I will be able to do it.’ Such self-talks will enable you to take up challenges.
Ethan Kross, the author of ‘Chatter: the Voice in our Head and How to harness it’, who is also the Director of Emotion and Self-control at Michigan University, says that once we have accomplished very difficult and impossible tasks, we will feel that it was very easily done. When you have faced a situation you once feared to face, you will feel that it was easy and effortless.
Pippa Grange, a psychologist, says that the fear culture affects us negatively. We will be confined to small spaces limiting our potentials. Thus we will not even be able to achieve even half of what we actually can.
When we live in comfort zones, we will continue to stay as we are. Nobody is going to benefit from it. We decide to stay back due to fear of failure and a sense of incapability. If we are to fail, let us fail. At least, we have made a bold attempt!
One of the greatest despair at the end of your life will be over wasted opportunities and untasted successes. If you do not want it to be, you must leave behind your comfort zones. Most of the successful people have left their comfort zones at some point of time.
Nobody has learned to swim without first jumping into a pool. Neither has anybody learned to walk without a fall. So, let us walk ahead towards success through small failures.
Good bye, comfort zones!
