Learning is sometimes uncomfortable...

When faced with a new challenge or a new pathway with decisions to make and understandings to gather, I sometimes get a fear feeling and feel really uncomfortable. In my experience, when I am on the verge of understanding and taking a BIG step towards fulfilling my true life's purpose, I feel decidedly uncomfortable.

This is because I am stepping out of my comfort zone...an area defined by me to keep me feeling safe, but that can also be restrictive. Whenever I contemplate a decision or step that takes me outside of this, I feel awkward, uncertain and uncomfortable.

I'm going to throw another "school based analogy" at you...smile. I had an amazing group of young people a while back who were 'beaten before they began' a lot of the time because they persisted in believing the work was too hard and that all math learning had to be difficult. So they boxed themselves in their comfort zone and complained bitterly and fearfully when I used a  metaphorical "crowbar" to jimmy them out. The cycle was always the same. I would introduce them to a new topic by writing it on the board, they would make comments like, "Oh my God Miss, that's so hard" and groan or complain. I would spend the lesson familiarising them with the language, the formulas and the basics of the concept. At the end of the lesson, the comments changed to, "That's really easy Miss," and others like it. They were only fearful in the beginning because the concept was new to them, once familiarised with everything about it, they were not only comfortable with it, but confident in being able to use the information I gave them.

Life is like that! Anything new that pushes the boundaries of your self imposed "comfort zone" feels scary and uncomfortable at first. Once you become familiar and make yourself knoweldgable, the fear is gone and you can step into your new found knowledge with confidence.

I am an author and an illustrator now because I took a fear filled first step and sent my book to some stranger on the other side of the globe and asked their opinion! I was terrified... the fear was my ego trying to sabotage me. The biggest steps have made me feel the most uncomfortable, but have had the largest gains when I overcame the fear to step proudly forward.

So when something feels new and uncomfortable and perhaps quite fearful...it could be you are about to take a delightful and rewarding step beyond your boundaries...reap those rewards!