Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Kenny Loggins + sweatpants = right into the comfort zone




A Comfort Zone.


We work hard to establish it in our lives- a stable job, a wardrobe of moderately-priced clothing that accentuates our finer features and camouflages our lesser ones, a car that runs reliably, and friends that are tried and true. We like to be busy but not TOO busy. We generally prefer quality over quantity.
We want what we want and that's o.k.

We like balance, it seems.







This thing we love, this comfort zone we hold so dear and guard with all our might, this is the same thing we fight against every day in the battle to NOT BE MEDIOCRE.



To me, too much of a good thing has always been my undoing. Too much whiskey and carousing equals pain. Too much shopping equals broke. Too much eating of the chips equals fat. Too much talking equals pissing someone off.

But, in keeping true to the spirit of the game, too much comfort for me equals uneasiness.
Too much even-keeledness equals me going a little bit nutso.
Too much stability equals me climbing the walls.

Yes, I love a weekend home, lazing around & getting the mundane shit done. I love having date night and the simple joy of dinner and a movie.
These things are good.

But I need more.

I too have a comfort zone, but I like the edges of mine to be a little on the blurry side- a little muddled, like mint in a mojito.

Today I am seeing that I have been too mired in the comfort of comfort lately. There's no challenge, no danger of screwing up. What's the fun in that, I ask? Where's the challenge?

When I would get squirrelly like this in the past, this feeling would manifest itself in ugly and sometimes self-destructive forms. Sometimes it seemed it would get the best of me. It seemed a battle I was destined to lose.
But, anyone who knows me knows of my distaste for losing, and true to form I came out on top.
But this, this...minor victory, it's not enough.

I've been lazy, in both the physical and metaphysical sense. I've rested on my laurels, which is pretty easy to do once you figure out the rules:

1) do what you're supposed to do- what is expected of you- at all times.

2) neither say nor do anything that rocks the boat.

3) be good at your job, but hold just enough back that you're not seen as a threat.

4) don't do the things that make you uncomfortable or uneasy.

5) blend in.

6) don't take unnecessary or seemingly foolhardy risks.

7) never, ever, ever draw too much attention to yourself. it makes others uncomfortable.


Today is just another day.
Today is just another chance.
Today is just another opportunity I can't let slip by.

Today, I start with #1.

You should too.

As my good friends will attest to, one of the more annoying things I say all the time is "move outside of your comfort zone".
Usually, this is applied to shopping and the purchase of an oddball piece of clothing.

Today it applies to me. And if that old, stagnant feeling is there- maybe you.

Move outside of your comfort zone.
You'll find it's strangely comfortable.

9 comments:

Brillig said...

This is so true. I've felt this many times in my life--that idea of, "why am I feeling antsy? Everything's perfect!" And that, right there, is why I'm feeling antsy! Great post!

Domestically Disabled Girl said...

wow, awesome post. i used to feel like that a lot. in fact, i think i felt that way for most of my marriage, which was probably a big part of the problem.

Stacey said...

Agreed.

Comfort zone can be good... hence the name but where would we be /how would we grow as people if we didn't challenge ourselves and step outside of our comfort zones.



Very thoughtful post !

Lollie said...

So which way on the spectrum are you going to lean re #1? Are you going to do perilously less than is expected of you or way friggin' more?

BigBottomMcGee said...

As so many others, I love this post. And I most definitely need to take your advice. Especially career wise.

Butrfly Garden said...

Yep, me too on the career. I like my job in the aspect that I rule this shit. But I hate needing to always be here because people can't seem to function right if I'm not. My work piles up until I have to rush to get it done because I'm just sick of it.

I think you're right. But how do you know where to start?

Whiskeymarie said...

Lollie- To answer: Way friggin' more, indeed.

Butrfly- Small steps. Small changes. It all adds up.

abbersnail said...

I can totally relate to this! There's something I love about a new challenge, about having my butt kicked. I don't know, maybe I'm nuts. But sometimes the idea of being comfortable seems really... blah.

Sugar Kane said...

I could not agree more. So tonight, I'm switching to vodka.