John Maxwell has taught me that growth occurs outside the comfort zone. If we are going to grow we need to move ourselves from what we know and go explore what we don’t know. That may sound exciting to some, but for most of us we are uncomfortable being in an unfamiliar situation. But to grow we must discover the undiscovered!
John has also taught me the importance of being comfortable in my own skin. We should learn to be comfortable about who we are. Developing core values, beliefs, and character that allow us to be the same person in all situations. This feeling of comfort is generated from possession of positive self esteem.
These two concepts may seem incompatible. How can I be uncomfortable and comfortable at the same time?
We all live our lives within our own mind. We have a unique view of the world. Feeling comfortable or uncomfortable is a part of that world. Right? Sometimes when we feel uncomfortable, everyone else is comfortable. The feeling of comfortableness or uncomfortableness only exists within our mind.
So feeling comfortable in our own skin is about being comfortable about how others view us. Being uncomfortable to grow is about how we view the world. It is two different perspectives. To be the best version of ourselves we need to be comfortable in how the world views us, and uncomfortable in how we view the world.
This can be a very difficult state to achieve. We want to shrink back to a place within our own mind where we are always comfortable. But I know this. It is not the best place.
Think of a situation when you walked into the unknown, confident in yourself. Self-assured in your ability to find success when you don’t know what you are facing. That is where you both shine and grow as an individual.
I hope to see you there!