Zoning In
Do the things that are uncomfortable because no one else will be bothered to do them.
How comfortable are you with the “new?” What I mean is, how open-minded are you to change? Does being unique and different make you uncomfortable or motivated? I do not know about you, but I love the idea of being sought after, in the minds or actions of others. By being authentic in my mistakes, achievements, and overall process of learning, I feel more like myself and less riddled with the anxiety of my life's “purpose.”
The last time I sat down to write was a week ago. I was scared to begin a new journey into my self-discovery because what if my writing was not good enough? I am traumatized by the mistakes and guilt of my past, I know this, which is why I have transformed from being an empathetic rug for people to walk all over to becoming an honest and empathetic person for myself and others to learn from. I feel much better this way. As much as I can get down on myself, it has been much easier to explore the unknown as I realize that it is just a reward in the long run.
The comfort zone, the fear zone, the learning zone, and the growth zone comply with differing levels of comfortability and fulfillment. In each zone, there are feelings associated with each level you find yourself in. The comfort zone is the starting block and the growth zone is the bright light at the end of the tunnel. Take a moment to resonate with the different zone names and ask yourself which one sounds the most terrifying. Did staying in the first level make you feel good or depressed? In noticing that the fourth level was the highest, did this make you feel motivated or uneasy?
I think that many people will use their common sense to notice that the achievement of the growth zone might be what their dreams are made of, and they are right. Being stagnant is doing yourself harm, as who wants to be in the same place for the rest of your life, especially if you do not even like where you are at? But at the same time, failure and the journey to self-discovery is something that many people will not want to jump head-first into either. It is a good thing that there are levels to this journey that many people before us have attempted and studied. Now, I am not saying that this guide is THE guide to living a meaningful life. I can jump from the first stage to the second and then back to square one because of the constant fear of rejection that I have had due to prior life experiences. Still, I tried to make the most out of it that one day and I learned, very steadily and slowly that if I can even make a small step outside my comfort zone, I am doing myself a great favor. Because the present moment is what it is said to be: a gift of everything that we are up to that moment; it is up to you whether you want the next moment to be worse, the same, or better.
Reading this can sound daunting, but that is the point, that is you making the first hop out of your comfort zone. Exhilarating, right?! Now just imagine how you would feel continuing to learn, experience, and execute. I think that it does not matter where you end up in life, more so that you do what makes you feel happy and fulfilled.
Let's make this more simple than it has to be. Writing makes me happy and more connected to my surroundings; I begin to live more in the present moment and realize that my thoughts are there to propel me, not purposely hurt me (even though it does not feel good, hurt is learning.) Before this page was filled with words, it was blank. Was my mind blank? Absolutely not, because it was filled with doubt that my message would not be interpreted the right way, MY WAY, or what if I did not use fancy words to make myself seem more intelligent (thesaurus.com is always pulled up), or what if my grand idea would not turn out to be so grand after all? The only thing I can tell you from coming back to write time and time again is that it gets easier to remember that this fear and doubt are bubbling up inside me because it needs to be examined. Why else would they be there for me to dissect? And guess what? THIS CAME OUT WAYYYYY BETTER THAN I COULD HAVE EVER IMAGINED! I want to thank myself for believing in myself to start somewhere. You do not need the approval of others to be yourself, this is your life and your life only.
I want to become a better student this upcoming Spring 2023 semester to prove to myself and others that I am capable of anything I put my mind to, so I watched this video, took notes, and then became inspired to write. I really recommend watching this as its underlying themes can resonate with everyone who just wants to feel and be better.
