Let's Get Uncomfortable
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore--
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?
Langston Hughes
The alarm goes off. You open your eyes for just a moment. The cold air hits your face like a ton of bricks, and you can’t even think about peeling back the sheets. You roll over. The alarm goes off once more, and now you have no choice but to swing your legs around the bed and step foot onto the cold hardwood floors. As you walk towards the bathroom, you look back at your bed and remember just how loved you felt in that bed. Just how comfortable you were. But there’s a whole world out there. The world with people to speak to, and places to see—none of which you will find inside that bed. Engulfed in cotton sheets and fluffy pillows, you lay in the bed of lies you've convinced yourself are real. You were told that comfort and happiness were mutually exclusive, and all you needed was to be comfortable in order to be happy. Comfort zones suck you in and hold on to you for dear life. The sick, sad truth of it all is that nothing worth having exists where you feel most comfortable. What happens to a dream deferred? It’s replaced with old patterns and tired routines.
They tell you that comfort zones allow you to exist in a world filled with uncertainties, but they conveniently leave out the part about that feeling you get in the pit of your stomach each and every day that passes when you choose not to live out your dreams. So, what do we do now? How do we shake stuff up and make things happen for ourselves? How do we escape our comfort zones and rip those covers off each and every morning? Is this all a bunch of ~inspirational~ mumbo jumbo? Maybe, but consider this:
The average person lives until they are 79. This means that if you are 20 years old, a quarter of your life has already passed you by. Why not enter into your 2nd quarter trying new things, with new people, in new places and creating the life that was built for you?
Ok, so you're ready to get into it. You’ve called Iyanla, but she was booked. So, alas, you are stuck with me. Let me be clear. I love cozy beds and warm bedsheets, but the fridge has all the good snacks and I gotta get up to get those. So, you know, I have some experiences stepping outside of my comfort zone. I’ve even managed to gather a few tips along the way. It's time that you start that blog or create that clothing line or move to that place where you know no one and nothing.
Here are few life hacks that you can implement into your day to day life that will basically turn you into Beyonce (these tips have yet to be tested, so don't @ me if you are not in formation after utilizing them).
Take a different route to work/school. Make sure that when you do this you resist the urge to pull out your phone and actually look up and pay attention.
Find that item of clothing in your closet that still has the tags on it. Put it on. Wear it with pride. Bonus points if you take a photo and put it on IG.
Remember that blog you almost got off the ground? Those notes you jotted down in the notebook next to your bed? Pick it up. Start. Doesn't matter where. Just start. Right now. I'm not kidding. Go. Okay, not until you finish reading, but once you're done you need to start.
Establish a daily routine. Got it? Okay, once you've gotten that down packed, throw that out the window, and create another one.
Start digging through Netflix. Find a movie you've never seen. Does it have 3 or fewer stars? Perfect. Go watch.
The laws of the universe dictate that change is inevitable and comfort is never promised. It is in discomfort where you will find inspiration and new ideas. Entering into places you've never been before forces your mind to recalibrate and form new habit loops and routines. I get it. Creating comfortable spaces for yourself allows you to maneuver your day-to-day with little fear and a sense of security. If you're having a particularly rough day, that warm bed will welcome you with open arms each and every time you return home. Once you're able to recognize that there is a larger energy source to tap into outside of the confines of that comfort zone, the world suddenly becomes yours for the taking. Get up. Open a window. Let the sun shine through.
Email me at ayanna@brainwashdigital.com if you rid yourself of comfort zones and also if you can get Iyanla to fix my life.
Comment below what you're willing to do to break out of your comfort zone. Do you have any other tips to break free of comfort zones?