On Choosing Your Personal "Hard"
There’s no such thing as small changes. All change is BIG.
Some changes might seem small, but when you shift to something outside of your usual patterns or take a path that diverges from your typical choices, that’s no small feat. Continue to make small, incremental changes, and you can dramatically change your life’s trajectory.
But change is scary because getting out of the comfort zone is uncomfortable.
I always tell my clients that intentional change is optional. You have a right to stay in what’s familiar. You’re entitled to your away-froms, negative thinking, and limiting beliefs. You can continue to do the same thing and hope that something will change. You can stay right where you are and try to make the most of it.
But the reality is that the comfort zone eventually reveals a certain discomfort. The comfort zone is supposed to be comfortable, but it’s also boring and predictable, and it becomes increasingly unsatisfying.
Why? Because human beings are meant to grow and evolve.
You were meant for change.
“But, Brenda, you already said change is hard and scary.”
Yes, it is. And avoiding change comes with its own baggage. Whether you choose to avoid change or choose to grow and evolve, there will be discomfort.
There will be discomfort in trying new things and taking chances. And there will be discomfort in staying in the same place. And the choice is yours.
We can learn to reframe the fear of getting outside the comfort zone because there is seldom any real danger involved. The safety that we feel in the comfort zone is usually nothing more than emotional safety. And years of inaction or years of doing the same thing can blind us to the other available options.
My invitation is for you to, first, realize that you have a choice. You can stay where you are, or you can choose to grow. And, second, I invite you to choose the path that helps you expand. Yes, there will be discomfort in the growth, but there will be benefits and newness on the other side of that growth.
Thanks for listening!
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