Comfort vs Courage: Week 1

Welcome to the Comfort Zone vs Courage Zone Challenge! This is an activity I used to do with my middle school students during the month of October. Are you up for it?

Let's jump in by defining what we are talking about. The Comfort Zone is where we prefer to spend our time, because it feels safe and easy. I drive the same roads from my house to the studio every day because there is no risk involved. I know it works. It's a no brainer. Why would I drive any differently??

The Courage Zone is what we do our best to avoid. This is where things feel uncomfortable, where we don't really know what we are doing, where things can get scary. I never learned how to parallel park as a teenager, and I have had no desire to learn as an adult because the idea scares me. Before I drive anywhere new, I ask questions about the parking and analyze the Google maps picture to make sure I will not need to parallel park. I am embarrassed to tell you that I have said no to invitations because I knew parallel parking was the only option. 

The Courage Zone requires vulnerability and bravery (ew, yuck). When we avoid the Courage Zone, we give power to those things that scare us. My social calendar is now dictated by the parking situation of a location. This is restrictive and it decreases my personal power. Wow - no fun!

Unfortunately for all of us, the things we avoid are the things that will help us grow as humans! The Courage Zone is where we learn and where we gather experiences. Even though we know this, it can be hard to take action towards this. (Hence, I am 46 and have never even attempted parallel parking.)

Our job this month is to choose one actionable fear and to move towards it. We may not conquer the fear, but it is our job to step into the Courage Zone. Along the way, we will discover ways to use this fear to learn more about ourselves and our resilience. Eradicating the fear is not the end goal. The hope is that we will come out the other side of this a little bit more empowered, a little bit more self-aware, and a little bit more in need of soothing dark chocolate. (I got your back in that regard.)

Week 1 Assignment

1. Make a list of your fears that involve actions. For example, I am scared of spiders but that is a thing, not an action. I am also scared of mountain biking near rocks and/or cactus. This is an actionable fear. 
2. From your list of actionable fears, choose one that you are willing to think about and possibly confront over the course of the next few weeks.
3. On the poster in the studio, write your entire list of fears.
4. On the poster in the studio, circle the fear you are choosing to work with this month.

Bonus: Watch Gaur Gopal Das, a wonderfully personable Indian monk, tell a story about leaving the Comfort Zone.

Growth Begins at the End of The Comfort Zone