This post was inspired by this post.  Thanks Guap for getting the wheels turning again!

“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone” ~ Neale Donald Walsch

Risk and reward.  Two words that represent how life really begins when you take that chance and step off the ledge of your comfort zone.  Life in a safety bubble is just that, safe.   No adventure tale every begins with the lead character being stuck in the confines of their comfort zone.   With risk comes adventure and the potential for really harnessing an energy that you never knew existed.

We create and shape our comfort zone for a reason.  It brings us the solace that we crave.  But frequent trips outside of that comfort zone can open up a world of possibilities and give us a sense of freedom.  It can allow us the opportunity to perceive things about ourselves that we never would have otherwise discovered.  And it doesn’t have to begin with a great leap of faith.  Small changes in our routine can lead to a monumental swing in our level of acceptance and can eventually increase the size of our comfort zone.

It is a given that stepping out of that comfort zone will lead to some anxiety and discomfort but the small pains we face to grow our experience will be well worth the gains we appreciate on the other side of the journey.  We need to re-wire the built-in mechanism that regulates our level of apprehension when it comes to trying something new.

Change is frightening but change is also cathartic.  Real personal growth can only occur if we allow ourselves the opportunity to expand our horizons, to go beyond the constraints with which we bind ourselves.  Reaching beyond that level of comfort will allow us the chance to gain more confidence and gain a sense of power from our attempt to evolve.

Take that first step towards the ledge, and then take another.  Slowly you will gain the confidence and know that the precipice that faces you is not as daunting as you first thought.  The fear that you embrace can only hold you back from finding out what awaits you once you take that plunge.  Perhaps the thing that scared you the most will hold the key to you truly feeling like you can conquer the world.