Fear, Excitement, and a Leap of Faith Outside Your Comfort Zone

"Growth cannot take place until we move beyond what we have always known."

- Teri Karjala

What is on the other side of your comfort zone? I never knew until I took that leap of faith, until I put the risks into perspective and decided that the world would not come screeching to a halt if I took a scary step out there.

What I found outside the boundary of my comfort zone was magic. I discovered incredible things about me and my potential. About life and its potential.

So, what’s on the other side of your comfort zone? Or are you maybe a little afraid to find out? Fear is, after all, the number one reason people stay cocooned in the safety of their comfort zone. Fear of the unknown. Fear of failure. Contempt prior to investigation. But think about this interesting fact: babies are born with only two fears. A fear of falling, and a fear of loud noises. From a young age and over time, we have been conditioned and have “learned” all other fears that keep us from expanding outside our comfort zones.

Now think about this other interesting fact: fear and excitement generate the exact same physical manifestations:

Fear & Anxiety

• Racing thoughts
• Increased heart rate
• Increased body energy
• Increased adrenaline
• Muscles feel weak
• Difficult to concentrate
• Not able to eat
• Increased breathing rate

Fear & Anxiety

• Racing thoughts
• Increased heart rate
• Increased body energy
• Increased adrenaline
• Muscles feel weak
• Difficult to concentrate
• Not able to eat
• Increased breathing rate

So what happens when we shift our perception and start recognizing fear as excitement? As you prepare to take that leap of faith into the area outside your comfort zone, just a minor shift in thinking could make all the difference. Instead of, “I can’t do this. What am I thinking?” try, “This is so exciting, I’m growing and expanding!”

I came across an article in Success Magazine, Why Your Comfort Zone is the Most Dangerous Place to Live. In it, the author makes a thought-provoking statement about the similarity between two words: casual and casualty. “Abiding to a casual life in the comfort zone,” he says, “is the ultimate casualty to the story of our lives.”

Wow! It so is!

Are you ready to substitute fear with excitement, and trust in the safety of what exists outside your comfort zone? Are you ready to find the limitless possibilities and endless potential that are just one leap of faith away? Life is too short to be spent in a perpetual sleep-eat-work-gym-TV routine. Muster up some courage, open your mind, and step boldly forward toward the magnificent life you were destined to live.

Be the Magic of You

Get all of the tools to transform your life from mediocre to magnificent. Check out Teri’s book, Be the Magic of You: Tools to Transform Your Life, now available for sale online.