In a class I took this summer, I was reminded of Newton’s
first Law of Motion or otherwise called the Law of Inertia. In this law its states, “An object at rest
tends to stay at rest, and an object in motion tends to stay in motion with the
same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.”[i] This law reminded me of a discussion on
comfort zones my mom and I had last year.
She told me about an analogy of a bike in a bowl. The bike was in a continuous cycle of riding
around and around the outer rim of a bowl. It was headed nowhere. There was
only one way it could get out of the so-called rut, or pattern, it was in. The person riding the bike had to muster all
the strength he could to turn the handle bars.
That small yet significant act would change his direction and he would
fly out of the bowl. I started thinking
about the areas in my life I considered a comfort zone and the consequences I’ve
had to deal with because I chose to say. It is always easier to stay, but the
question I had to ask myself was if it was worth it.
Sometimes comfort zones are a good place to be. They help us recover from a tragedy or
loss. They give us time to breath and
strength to stand back on our feet. But
what about those times when we get stuck, like the person on the bike? I think we sometimes choose to say in our
comfort zone because it is just that….comfortable. Life is hard. I think we can all agree to
that. But I think it was meant to
be. Otherwise we wouldn’t grow. And growth is a huge part of what this life
is all about.
In the book “The Connected Educator” the authors Sheryl
Nussbaum-Beach and Lani Ritter Hall talk about the difficulty of change. They state, “Change is hard because it
involves re-culturing --re-examining values and dispositions and letting go of
what we are vested in…. We all have a choice: A choice to be powerful or
pitiful. A choice to allow ourselves to
become victims or activist” (145). Now
obviously it was addressing teachers but the more I reread and examined the
statement the more I realized that it applied to the everyday person. It applies to everyone. Why? Because change is hard and we do have a choice if we want to change or not.
For several years I was in a comfort zone with my
career. I was stuck in a place where I
didn’t feel good about myself. I would
go to work emotionally numb because I didn’t want to feel the hurt when I was
put down. I stayed because I knew the
routine and knew what was expected of me.
The problem was that I was just going through the motions. There was no progress in my life. Depression was present and I just accepted
the fact that this is the way my life was going to be. I was in a speed of motion going in no
direction which felt bleak but familiar.
I was scared of what was “out there”.
I constantly asked myself if I was worth bigger and better. I wondered if I could handle different or
change. I needed help but didn’t know
how to ask for it or if I should even ask for it. I was comfortable in my mindless but
miserable state of motion and nothing but an “unbalanced force” could get me
out.
An “unbalanced force” happened and at the time I wasn’t sure
if I liked it. But I knew something had
to happen. I wasn’t happy and deep
inside, under the numbness, I wanted to change that. So one day I went to a
friend’s house and received help on updating my resume. I didn’t think anything would happen from it,
but it was my small way to take a step in a different direction. That small act of faith made all the
difference. A few months later I applied
for a job that I had desired for many years.
The results: I got it! I refer to
it as a tender mercy. But it took my small steps (all that I had to give at the
time) that turned my course in a different direction. It got me out of my comfort zone.
I’ve learned that any small act will change your destination. It will be that “unbalanced force” to get you
out of the bowl and someplace where you can progress. Digging in your heals and turning the handle
bars may take all the strength you can muster.
But the good news: it is
enough.
Have you ever felt like you took that leap of faith and now
you are in unchartered territory? In all sense of the word, you feel utterly
and completely lost and wondered why you even tried. You feel that this lost
feeling means you made the wrong choice and you desperately want to go back to
that familiar zone because at least there you know what to expect. Maybe you
even felt like there you were in control of your life. Ironically, the harsh reality is that you
didn’t have control. You were just
riding in circles letting the vehicle you were on do all the work.
Even though it may be a fearful place, the unknown can be
good. It helps us discover new things about
ourselves, those we are in contact with, and our environment because we get to
learn to make new choices. We get to be
in control again. Although it is a very
scary and uncomfortable feeling, sometimes there is no other way to lead us in
a better direction. We need to learn
those things about ourselves. They help
us change and become stronger. The key is
to be prayerful and keep doing those small acts of faith. Involve God in your choices. And you will be on the road to progress…. out
of your comfort zone.
[i]
Nussbaum-Beach, S & Ritter Hall, L. (2012). The Connected Educator: Learning and Leading in a Digital Age.
Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
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