5 Ways to Live Inside Your Comfort Zone...JOY-Fully

If you look up the definition of “comfort zone” you’ll get similar examples of a place or psychological state of ease, comfort, safety, control, less stress, etc.

And people are always trying to get you to step OUTSIDE of that.

Okay, so…I’m going to offer you a different perspective. A new lens. A greater concept.

Because I think doing so depends on the outcome you're looking for. So…hear me out. (If you will.)

What if the space just inside your comfort zone was…comfortably uncomfortable? Meaning, that the discomfort you feel is simply because of the challenges you face, AND you’re comfortable with them, BECAUSE…you know how to BE in them, and what to DO in them? Maybe not immediately. But you know how to get there. 🤔

Walk with me for a bit.

We’re told to believe that outside of our comfort zone is where the magic happens. That when we get uncomfortable out there, we’re stretching ourselves for the better. That our comfort zone doesn’t seed change. We need to “step outside” of it… for that to happen.

But what if...

…what if all that can happen just INSIDE of your comfort zone?

Magic…even miracles…can happen.
You can be stretched.
You can grow.
You can be better.
Change can happen.

Should I go on?

So…what’s the difference?

Identity. Shocker, right?

No…but really. Keep walking with me. 😎

Being and doing things that come from, and support who you are:

Can feel magical
Stretches you
Is you…better
Seeds change
Can change a TON of things

Should I go on?

Living from your identity...

...changes the perception of your comfort zone boundary. It shows you that when BEing you, what you do IS more natural. It FEELS more natural. You ARE more comfortable….even when you’re challenged, stretched, or stressed. And you will be.

It simply means that you know (better) how to respond, walk that out, and have peace, calm, and JOY…in the processes of life…across your life.

That’s why I call it, comfortably uncomfortable. And it has it's purpose.

Not kidding. Sit with that for a bit.

So…what are the 5 ways to live inside your comfort zone…JOY-fully?

Know who you are…fully. Assess and acknowledge who and whose you are. Go deep with this one. No surface-level fluff and stuff here. It may take a minute to relate…but you’ll need this clarity for confidence…forward. And this clarity brings peace...inside your comfort zone. Trust me.
Lean into ALL of who you are. This creates your ability to orchestrate your life areas better. You’ll be using these life-working “tools” so to speak, in ways you may not have before…inside your comfort zone.
Ignite inspired action daily. When you do things from inspiration, you can stand firm in what and how you’re DOing, because you’re BEing intentional and authentic, in the moment. This is what creates and maintains the flow across your life. Even when there’s speed bumps, roadblocks, or a major construction zone on your path…yes…inside your comfort zone.
Give to, of, and from yourself. Ah, yes. It all begins with self-care, and I mean…REAL self-care. Again…not surface-level fluff and stuff. I’m talking about the 4 Pillars of Self-Care, that go inward, outward, and upward. And not necessarily in that order…inside your comfort zone.
And all that being said…let’s not forget your non-negotiables. Setting and respecting the “best” boundaries in any and all life areas, helps you see and walk your path more clearly. Clarity and confidence with less distraction, and less unnecessary friction…inside your comfort zone.

And all of this, can and should be…just inside your comfort zone! How awesome is that?!

And when you see and receive this, you will be stretched. You will grow. Change will happen.

It will challenge you daily to walk in your identity, to be comfortably uncomfortable, AND…to be grateful for who you are, in all that you do…inside your comfort zone.

Wait!!

I think I just outlined for you the 5 steps in my ALIGN JOY-Full Living Foundations program!

Say whuh? How’d that even happen?

It’s because I know, that I know, that I know…it works.

Don’t let others drag, guide, or mislead you outside of your comfort zone…JUST because they think there’s nothing of value inside of it. 😮

Who are they to call that?

Besides. How do THEY even know where your comfort zone is? Or what’s in there?

My encouragement to you...

...is to explore the whole of your comfort zone. Maybe you’ve just been hanging out in a corner. 😑

Be enlightened by the brilliance of your comfort zone. There’s a light there for a reason, ya know.
Express gratitude for your comfort zone….even if you don’t fully understand it yet. It’s okay to take ownership for something you’re not fully living from…yet.
And…you can even expand your comfort zone…with JOYous possibilities that come from and support who (and whose) you are….once you know what that is.

But wait. You might be thinking…"Isn’t that "expanding" stepping outside of my comfort zone?"

Not necessarily. Because those steps you’re taking will be intentional, not misguided. Authentic, not copied.

You’re not stepping into a random space.

You’re receiving the space created for you. Fully. Challenges and all.

It’s big enough for all that you were created to be. All that you were created to do. It was created FOR you.

That’s why…you’ll live it…well.

Here’s a famous quote (about comfort zones) that we can use as an example of this perspective:

“A ship is always safe at the shore, but that is not what it is built for.” —Albert Einstein

Okay. I get that.

Does this mean, that if the ship sails away from the shore, that it’s stepping outside of its comfort zone?

That’s not how I see it.

I believe that if it sails away from the shore…it’s stepping into the space that it was created for. It’s natural. It’s comfortable. Sometimes its comfortably uncomfortable. Why?