There is no growth in your comfort zone and there is no comfort in your growth zone.
There has never been a successful individual that hasn't had an uncomfortable experience or two. It is simply how you grow.
Think about how babies learn to stand up. Do you think it's comfortable for a baby to just stand right on up? No, the muscles in their legs have never been used. However, we congratulate children when they learn to stand up. We congratulate them for being uncomfortable. Unconsciously, we put children through an uncomfortable experience right off the bat - because it will benefit them in the future.
This theory keeps unconsciously growing all through the learning process of growing up. Was going to your first day of school ever actually comfortable? I still haven't had a comfortable first day of school and I've gone through 14 of them. Was trying out/auditioning for your first sports team/fine arts group comfortable? I remember feeling so sick before auditions that I wouldn't eat anything for a few hours before the try out/audition. Was getting your report card ever really comfortable? Was going to the doctor comfortable?
Chances are we weren't really that comfortable in most of our growth periods in life. However, it is important to remember that these specific uncomfortable times still remain pretty unconscious.
Now once we move into middle and high school age, we run into something called a safe space. This is literally what it sounds - a space for you to feel comfortable and safe. Yes, there is a time for a safe space, but what about a brave space?
Instead of creating spaces where the main objective is to provide safety, why not provide a space that encourages growth.
This space is called a brave space.
A no judgment environment that creates growth.
How can this happen?
Well, remember, there is no growth in your comfort zone. So this is a space for you to feel safe feeling uncomfortable. It is safe for you to share ideas, concerns, feelings, thoughts, etc.
If we eliminate the fear of being uncomfortable it allows us to go directly into our growth zone. There is no comfort in our growth zone. In order to grow, you must be uncomfortable at times. We must be able to have a safe space, but that safe space has to allow us to grow. It has to allow us to feel uncomfortable, because it is the only thing that can actually make us grow.
How did the recruited astronauts feel about going to the moon? Probably pretty uncomfortable. How did Elvis Presley feel before performing at his first huge show? Probably pretty uncomfortable. How did you feel on the first day of your first job? Probably pretty uncomfortable. How did you feel learning to share your toys as a child? Probably pretty uncomfortable.
You have probably felt pretty uncomfortable many, many times in your life. However, those were the times in your life that you learned the most from and grew as a result.
There is no growth in your comfort zone and there is no comfort in your growth zone.
