Saturday, February 26, 2011

Change Your Habits and Expand Your Comfort Zone

Stretch. We do it in the morning as we get out of bed. Our pets do it when they get up. It's our way to loosen up so we can move forward. Athletes stretch before they do a work-out. It leads to the question why they do it? Well, we need to warm up our muscles so they are able to take us further and to new heights. I feel we should do the same thing for our minds.
The Self-Improvement business was built on doing stretching exercises for our brain. We need to prepare ourselves to be better and to accomplish change that will enhance our lives. We train our bodies and our minds to do more. It's human nature. You will note that I have been writing in the present tense as if you all are doing this. Many of us do not prepare our bodies and minds so we can grow and improve ourselves. We slide into the taking the path of least resistance. It's our comfort zone. It's mindless. We don't have to make any decisions. We are trapped. The door is not locked. But we do not venture out.
It is my opinion that being stuck in your comfort zone is what could be holding you back from all kinds of things in life. A better career. A better relationship with friends and co workers. The opportunity to travel. You could become a volunteer and give some of your untapped talents to those in need. The reality is than many people just come home at the end of the day and say I'm exhausted. I deserve a beer and a night on the couch.
I personally feel the most important of all is to create a sense of opportunity and exploring for our children. Our children are after all just little us. I was once having a conversation with a friend and she said "my god, our children are doing better than we are". Well isn't that the plan? I ask did this happen because of you or in spite of you? I say fantastic for the soccer moms and dad's. Just don't flop in front of the tube when you get home. Stay engaged with your children but be careful. You might have some fun.
Could you imagine looking down from the pearly gates and reading your own obituary. It reads. " Bob was a loving father and husband who spent many years in front of the television watching his favorite shows that brought him so much joy". If this is making you feel a little uncomfortable you need to ask yourself the question. My God is that me? Many of us today ask what's in it for me. It is a time when people want instant answers. I believe that one of the reasons that blogging is so successful is that people want instant answers. They don't want to read a whole book. Just let me read something short and sweet that will fix what needs to be fixed. RIGHT NOW!!
Why on earth do you think infomercials are everywhere on the TV. It's a waterfall of money that comes from people trapped in their comfort zones. Claims like "Create a new you in 30 days". "Make a fortune in just 60 days". "You can do this. I just love this claim....We have done all the hard work to make it easy for you". Yes there are lots success stories on each of these shows to support the claims. What they do not tell you is that over 90 percent of the programs purchased from infomercials are gathering dust it a matter of weeks. There is an audience of millions of people out there knowing how they are living, needs to change. Hold it now. That means I have to change my habits. Egads. Hope springs eternal. Hope to is a victim of the comfort zone.
Changing how we live can be easy if we do it in small steps. Habit changing can be fun if you approach it with the right attitude. Don't try to change too many things at once. See things trough. Build on your small but important victories. Success and Happiness will birth from loving what you do for a living and how you interact with your family and community. Everything else in life you can by. Changing your habits to be the best you can be does not cost a dime. Imagine that.

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