Time to get out of your comfort zone

Being gutsy is a necessary quality to make positive changes in our lives. Just recently I had to make some decisions to produce some radical changes in my life. It seemed clear to me what I needed to do, yet difficult to have the courage to do it. I was overcome with the fear of getting out of my comfort zone. As I pondered the question “What does it take to create the life style I desire?” I had to admit that being a risk-taker was a threat to my security. Yet what is security? Is it false security? And what is my security based on?

As I pondered the answers to these questions, I had to admit that I needed courage. The definition of courage is the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger or pain without fear. Courage means being brave to act in accordance with one’s beliefs, in spite of criticism. Deuteronomy 31 tells the story of Moses and Joshua crossing the Jordan and facing their giants to enter into their promise land. In verse 6, the Lord said to Moses, “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them. For the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

Having courage is not just about little tiny me, being all by myself, tying to stand up to huge giants, bigger and more powerful than I. It takes having the right perspective and mind set to conquer the fear of moving out of your comfort zone. I can have courage because of the One who is with me. Besides what am I so afraid of? Am I afraid of making a mistake, being misunderstood, or afraid of not knowing the next step? What is the root cause of my fear? Sometimes fear is not at all rational. Will someone put a gun to my head because I make a mistake?

Another name for courage is faith. What is faith? According to Hebrews 11:1, faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Faith is having confidence and trust. It is a belief that is not based on proof.

How can a person produce lots of faith? Matthew 17:20 tells us that it doesn’t take a lot of faith to move the mountains of obstacles in our lives. It only takes a tiny seed of faith. When we plant a tiny seed of faith to live our dreams, we need to water it, nurture it and protect it. We can’t allow the weeds of doubt to choke it out.

In the movie “The Pursuit of Happiness” there is a scene where the dad (Will Smith) tells his son, “Don’t ever let anyone tell you, you can’t do something. Not even me. Alright? You got to dream. You got to protect it. People can’t do something themselves, they want to tell you, you can’t do it. You want something, go get it! Period.”

It is time to let go of excuses and stop blaming your circumstances for not living the life you desire. What fears are stopping you from achieving your dreams? Are you ready to demonstrate courage and move out of your comfort zone? If you want something go after it.

Alice Maryniuk, author of Thinking for a Change. How to transform your life by transforming your thoughts.