Breaking Out

Yesterday we worked on defining our comfort zones… today we’re going to explore safe ways to get out of them. As American mythologist Joseph Campbell reminds us, “The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.” What are you waiting for?

I have a couple of ideas that I think might be helpful to explore. The first thing is to look at one of your known comfort zones, give it a title, and then do a “what would I do if…” Here’s an example:

I found that one of my comfort zones is my tiny area of familiar places. I think I’m becoming more and more reclusive. So, if I did the turn around it might look like this:

If I wasn’t so reclusive, I’m sure I would:

• Go to a bar that features live blues bands… and enjoy some great music.
• See the Pompeii exhibit at Union Station.
• Have more friends.

Another idea is to look at the individual sentences from the exercise yesterday, and come up with alternatives. It might look something like this:

When someone is unkind to me, instead of getting quiet and withdrawn, I could …

• Burst into a profusion of fake tears… (fun!)
• Fling my hands up into the air and say very dramatically, “Really??!?”
• Do a silent and very dramatic silent scream.
• Smile, and say, “That was mean.”

When someone is unkind to you, what could you do differently?

As you explore these other options, begin to think about trying a couple of them. Look around for ways to disrupt your normal routine. If you usually watch Action Adventure Movies, watch a Romantic Comedy. If you always sleep on the left side of the bed, try sleeping on the right. Take the long way home…. Little things. Easy stuff.