Comfort Zone Breakout

"Another word for comfort zone is 'rut' and a 'rut' is just a grave with both ends kicked out." Wow. Kind of makes the comfort zone a less than ideal place to be, doesn't it? This was just one of the many jewels from a two-day workshop called "Increasing Human Effectiveness" that a colleague and I recently attended. 

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The program is all about how to make positive changes in your life and your organization. There were many other memorable moments over the two days. One of the stories that really stuck with me came during the part on self-limitations. The point was that we are all born champions, and it is only through a lifetime of conditioning that we impose limitations on our potential to grow and change. 

To illustrate his point, presenter Bob Moawad shared a story about how elephants are trained to stay in one place. Their trainers first put a heavy iron chain around their leg and then cement the other end into a concrete posts. Over time, the elephants get so conditioned that they can be tethered to one place by just a small rope and stake. Eventually, at the direction of their trainer, they'll even pick up their own rope and stake and carry it to the next spot. There they patiently stand, waiting for their next command, oblivious to the fact that they could easily move on with just a simple tug.

How many of us stand around like that elephant, not only grounding ourselves to one spot with our past experiences and false beliefs, but actually carrying around the very ropes and stakes that keep us tied down? Is it a negative attitude from a past experience – either real or imagined? Is it something somebody once told us about ourselves that's become lodged in psyche? Is it a comfort zone that corresponds with an old self-image? Whatever the reason or history, we have a choice about our future attitudes and corresponding actions. 

What makes this program so great is that it actually gives you the tools that allow you to become more comfortable with new behaviors that are outside of your comfort zone. It all starts with the willingness to look within. As Bob Moawad says, "All meaningful and lasting change starts on the inside and works its way out."

As for me, that workshop got me to thinking about my own comfort zone. I believe I'm ready to permanently pack up my stakes and move on to greener pastures.