“Hey Now what are you doing in there?”

Remaining in a well-oiled comfort zone is something to be cherished in this world. The cogs are refined and polished, the design is personal and the furniture fits perfectly. Our habits are painted on the walls of our comfort zone and they are a reflection of the neat tapestry we have sewn over time. If any gaps appear in this work of art, we are usually first on the scene to assess any damage and to patch it back together with our thoroughly convolute first aid kit. In a perfect world we would notice any inadequacies before they become problematic in what can be a very fragile engine.

Stepping out of the realms of a comfort zone might look like this…

I drew this picture by the way, not a five year old (although it’s very probable that a five year old could in fact do better). I’m quite new to the app “paint” and it’s quite ironic that I’m out of my comfort zone just by using it. I’ll practice my skills another day.

Not only is the picture above a bit shite!! It of course comes fully attached with an intelligent deeper meaning of which I will attempt an explanation to the inner workings of my mind. This particular example is also the simplest version of stepping out of your comfort zone. If you look at it as a whole you can see some environmental stimulants around the stick man, the comfort zone is your house. There is of course safety in the house and hopefully it’s a safe place for you and it also allows for some sensation but the real draw is the comfort. However it can become quite over bearing, so comfortable that we don’t set our sites for anything else or perhaps like me we’re just too scared to.

By stepping out of the ever-consuming bubble of comfort we morph into that ambitious, vulnerable, ever changing human we’ve only ever dreamed of. Sensations get multiplied, magnified; fight or flight bulldozes in when needed, while instinct, desire, and mischief, set up camp and light a fire in your belly. There’s anticipation in performing the act of stepping out and it’s bloody scary, but totally worth it for having those senses magnified through your whole being like a vibration from the universe.

I have also become aware that it’s very important to pay attention to your comfort zone too!! “Paying Attention” is the key phrase here as it gives you the option to either stay very safe within it if you wish or go full throttle and take a very delicious step out, whilst still acknowledging the comfort zones safe existence. Stepping out can lead to; extraordinary experiences where unexpected decisions cause surprising realities you would not have neatly planned yourself. Also I hear grey hair is in these days so with the amount of cortisol in your body at a time where your nerves are way up on an adrenaline fuelled high ropes course, you’re bound to be modeling a full head of grey locks by the time you are able to earth yourself.

Within my experiences so far it seems that the optimum scenario is one where you can step out of your comfort zone and have a method you use to deal with whatever comes your way. Here’s a four-step process I’ve come to know and love.

1. Learn how your body and mind feel
2. Accept the way they feel
3. Use appropriate mechanisms to deal with the stress they pose
4. Remember stress and vulnerability are good for you, it’s how you deal with them that can make or break you.

I know I’m completely bonkers with my descriptions but I like being playful and I had fun writing some of the over the top paragraphs in this blog. This outburst of information is the first installment, an introduction if you will to my next three blogs where I shall bore you with the finer details of how I’ve challenged my belief systems yet again or indeed succumbed to the inner workings of my harmonious comfort zone during our travels to New Zealand. Look out for the ones below…

1. What If, What if, What if
2. Oh My Fly
3. The Treacherous Crossing

For now thats all, the next blogs will come out quicker so make sure you’re ready with that vino or coffee to have a little look at what I’m experiencing on this journey.

LOTS OF LOVE, PEACHES XXX