Leaving Your Comfort Zone

Leaving Your Comfort Zone

Career Counseling March 30, 2021

Leaving Your Comfort Zone

Leaving Your Comfort Zone

Have you ever wondered why it seems easier to hold on to pain and misery than to let go or move on? Think about the seasons in your life when a love interest has chosen to walk away. You know the relationship has hit a dead-end or that, sometimes; it has become toxic, but a part of you still wants to hold on. The sting of their rejection seems unbearable.
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Maybe a business partner or a close friend betrayed you and stole an idea or cost you an excellent business opportunity. Years later, you are running your own business or have a superb job, and yet the pain of their betrayal seems to overshadow that. Instead of leaving your comfort zone and letting go of the pain of our past, you cling to it. Instead of freeing ourselves from what no longer benefits us, we hold on to it.

When you embrace change, you embrace growth. Knowing how to leave your comfort zone behind will help you uncover hidden talents and skills within yourself. When you embark on a journey in unchartered terrain, it forces you to learn to survive. You learn to adapt. Growth and evolution become close companions. You discover things about yourself that you would never have known if you did not have the courage to step out of your comfort zone.

You grow when you let go. In an unfamiliar environment, you unlearn certain habits and adopt new ones. You let go of things you believe to be true and become more open to new ideals. 
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Leaving your comfort zone frees you from a place of limitation. It offers options and opportunities that open up our narrow view of life and how it works. Do not hold on for comfort. Let go for growth.

Why It Seems Easier To Hold On

We hold on to situations that harm us and affect our overall wellbeing because somehow; we find comfort in our pain. It is easy for us to cling to the terrible experiences we had in our past because we find our identity in them. For some, their life story is not complete without the chapter of how someone walked away or how someone they loved died. Some people do not know who they are outside of painful events from their past or hurtful situations in their present.  

The concept of making new friends and meeting new people becomes more daunting as we grow older. Even though we have outgrown certain friendships from our childhood, we still hold on to them because they are familiar. We hang on to people who do not contribute to our growth because we are afraid that we will be alone. We justify their unacceptable behavior towards us because we need a reason to keep them in our circle, even if they no longer fit in it.

When opportunities present themselves for our growth, we turn them down in favor of what is comfortable. You shelve that application or that interview for a job that has the potential to stretch and challenge you so you become a formidable force in the corporate world. The opportunity to start something we are passionate about slides through our hands because we are afraid to make the move to pursue it. We dislike our job or the working conditions or our earnings, but we comfort ourselves because at least we have a job. So we drag ourselves out of bed every morning and make our way to work, all the while knowing that we have the potential to do better. Our comfort in the familiar does not release us to go out there and be great.

Leaving your comfort zone behind  is not failing. Many people hold on to people who no longer align to their vision. We cling to situations parallel to our goals and dreams.

When you have given something your best shot and it still cannot yield good things, then you are better off without it. Do not let the fear of what society thinks or what people may say keep you in situations that bring more harm than good. You are not a failure for walking out on unhealthy relationships. Knowing how to quit your job is not an indicator of some inadequacy on your part.

More awaits you, but only if you let go.

You cannot receive anything new unless you loosen your grip on the old that no longer serves you. There are many exciting opportunities on the other side of leaving your comfort zone.

Think about how wonderful it is to meet new people and make new connections. You can do that by leaving your comfort zone. Join a gym. Try out that new café. Travel more and learn new cultures. Unlock yourself from the prison of past connections that are hindering your growth. Apply for that new job. Start your own business. Attend a life-transforming seminar. Give yourself a chance to do the unfamiliar. Change is an agent of growth. It may seem scary to let go, but it allows you to explore who you are and what you are capable of. You will learn new things about yourself if you come out of your cocoon and spread your wings.
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Do not tie yourself to people or environments that drain you. Set yourself free by letting them go. 

The Beauty Of Leaving Your Comfort Zone

When you embrace change, you embrace growth. ​Leaving your comfort zone will help you uncover hidden talents and skills within yourself. When you embark on a journey in unchartered terrain, it forces you to learn to survive. You learn to adapt. Growth and evolution become close companions. You discover things about yourself that you would never have known if you did not have the courage to step out of your comfort zone.
​
You grow when you let go. In an unfamiliar environment, you unlearn certain habits and adopt new ones. You let go of things you believe to be true and become more open to new ideals. 
Stepping out of your comfort removes you from a place of limitation. It offers options and opens up our narrow view of life and how it works. Do not hold on for comfort. Let go for growth.

“Your power is beyond your comfort zone. Do something that stretches you beyond what you have previously thought possible- either with your body, mind, spirit, or life goals. Nurture within yourself a growth mindset that says ‘there is more for me’: more life, more love, more to learn, more to experience and achieve. Make it okay to be uncomfortable. That is the place to discover the strength and power to create a new you! You have something special. You have greatness within you!” -Les Brown.

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Mandy Fard

About The Author

Mandy Fard is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW, CMRW) and Recruiter with decades of experience in assisting job seekers, working directly with employers in multiple industries, and writing proven-effective resumes.

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