Over the next 21 days I am going to be sending out daily thoughts on change from the world’s most extraordinary past and present minds, those who have touched me deeply over many years, as gentle (sometimes not so gentle) reminders of the inevitability of change.
Monumental change, unlike we have seen in decades, is currently being felt around the world; from the ferocious winter weather to the ping-pong economic status, to the disconnection some of you may be feeling from your family and friends.
We only have this infinitesimally short time to do our work (our play?); to make our unique mark, to know that our breath makes more of a difference than foggy air against a mirror; to allow ourselves to be touched, and touch the hearts of another; that in doing so will fill in even the smallest cracks we created from our bleak, unacknowledged pain; a pain that wants to be healed now.
All of it is here, serving as a compass heading to return us to….. Our Center.
This is a kindly challenge to all of you, a call to hearts, to take the next 21 days to deeply contemplate, if it pleases you, what these words mean to you, how they affect you, and what you’re willing to do about it right now.
You have nothing to lose.
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Google search results for "Comfort Zone" produces about 7 million hits. Who is searching on this phrase reveals that the most searches come from Canada, in second place is the USA and in third, Singapore. By city, the most searches on the phrase come from Richmond VA. in second place is Toronto, Canada.
There is a lot of talk on the web about comfort zone and people are searching on the term. In the last quarter of 2008 the number of searches on this phrase increased significantly. Are Canada and Richmond VA the most uncomfortable places?
People are searching for "change" too. Singapore is in first place for frequency of search. Washington DC is second. Frequency peaked in November 2008.
Wikipedia describes "Comfort Zone"
A google blog search on "comfort zone" reveals what people think and say about it.
Generally it appears that change is what happens when people step out or leave or break out of the comfort zone. The motivating factor appears to be that the comfort zone is not comfortable any more in some term like security, risk, pain, etc. It seems that in that case, the comfort zone has become uncomfortable and comfort has to be restored.
From the object oriented point of view this presents a definition of comfort zone as something to be maintained by rectifiers. Filters that keep out things that might otherwise disturb the desired comfort zone:
"A comfort zone is a tested region of a system's input space within which it has been observed to behave acceptably. To keep systems operating within their comfort zones, we advocate the interposition of rectifiers between systems and their input sources. Rectifiers are designed to transform inputs to ensure that they are within the comfort zone before they are presented to the system."
Going from the world of Object Oriented programming to poetry for a view of comfort zone these are the beginning lines of a poem to be found in full here http://www.ellenbailey.com/poems/ellen_139.htm
"I used to have a comfort zone where I knew I couldn't fail,
The same four walls of busy work were really more like a jail
I longed so much to do the things I'd never done before,
But I stayed inside my comfort zone and paced the same old floor"
Comfort Zone from the dark side as a place not to be is the theme here: http://daily.finerminds.com/mind/self-improvement/becoming-just-awesome-part-7-your-comfort-zone-is-your-cage/
Of course, change and comfort zone on the social institutional side is one thing, on the individual level, well, its personal.
After this preceding investigation of what is generally available on the matter of change and comfort zone, nothing seems to fit or relate to the way I view it in my life which is an interesting question that has not been strictly defined because --- I guess I am comfortable with it.
My Comfort Zone: It has few elements in it. If I had searched more I might find something related to the number of things in a comfort zone, then what those things are. In general, I like the magic number 7. Therefore there would be about 7 big things in my comfort zone, plus or minus 2. It seems reasonable that reducing the number of things that define comfort zone makes it harder for a lot of things to make it uncomfortable. At some point in reduction I arrive at things that just are not subject to change. Not exactly an "all I need is the air that I breathe" space but maybe it can be identified by taking things out of my world one by one. The material things, security, arms or legs, vision, hearing, the ones I love. Would they put me out of my comfort zone?
My different view of comfort zone is that change extends it. If I have to step out of it I would not be me. I gotta be me, who else could I be.....I am my comfort zone. What others might view as getting way out of a comfort zone I view as getting way into it. I have done the Ironman triathlon a few times and I call it getting way out of my comfort zone for a day but I really get way into it. It is a metaphor that makes one day a whole life and stips down what we have to challenge it to near nothing except running shoes shorts, body and mind and focus and purpose.
One thing that the examination of comfort zone reveals to me is that maintenance of a comfort zone by restriction, exclusion, avoidance of any factor that may enter and upset my comfort zone would be the most serious mistake that would totally upset my comfort zone. Nothing could upset it except my faith in who I am. Personal change beyond a few fundamentals I call my comfort zone is therefore an adventure.
Back to the poetic for some meaning of change. I like this which is taken from a discussion here
To laugh is to risk appearing a fool,
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.
To reach out to another is to risk involvement,
To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self.
To place your ideas and dreams before a crowd is to risk their loss.
To love is to risk not being loved in return, live is to risk dying,
To hope is to risk despair,
To try is to risk failure.
But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing. People who risk nothing, do nothing, have nothing, are nothing. They may avoid suffering and sorrow, But they cannot learn, feel, change, grow or live. Chained by their servitude they slaves who have forfeited all freedom. Only a person who risks is free.
The pessimist complains about the wind; The optimist expects it
to change; And the realist adjusts the sails.
Finally, a Quote:
To the degree we're not living our dreams, our comfort zone has more control of us than we have over ourselves.
Peter McWilliams quote
There is nothing to lose in my comfort zone. I take it with me like a turtle takes its shell. It is where I am at. It is mobile. Is there nothing I am uncomfortable with? Yes, our social institutions, how they behave and what we can do to make change.
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