Before I get really deep into this week's blog, I want to give credit to a former classmate who started this conversation on facebook about moving out of your comfort zone in order to get what you want out of life. I had been thinking about this topic for a while. After all, this whole journey has really been about me moving out of a detrimental comfort zone I had been in for a while now. So, Sed Ehi, this blog is for you(and also for CJ,one of my wonderful followers, I read your blog,too).
Thinking back, I have always had to force myself or be forced to move out of a place that was comfortable for me. If there is any truth to zodiac signs, I am definitely a true Cancer. I like to retreat into my shell if I feel out of my element. If you challenge me, I am bound to either close myself up, or get really moody for reasons you could not possibly (or even want to understand). As a child, I was very shy. Unlike my gregarious parents and sister, it was very hard for me to make friends. When I did make a friend, you were my friend for life (or at least for a very long time). So as you can imagine, my circle was(and still is in some ways) very small. I had a wonderful teacher, Ms. Dobbs, who did manage to draw me out of my shell by introducing me to public speaking. I could speak (and later on, sing) very well in front of large crowds. Yet, when it came to one on one encounters, I was very uncomfortable. I even had to train myself to look people in the eyes when I speak to them. Even now, if I feel awkward, it is still hard for me to project my voice and look a person in the eyes. This part of my life is still a work in progress.
Quite often I have tried to purposely put myself in uncomfortable situations to help me overcome my fears. I alway picked some of the more challenging teachers in high school and college. I dated (and eventually married) a man who is soooo not like me, which has been a beautiful journey in itself. Something else funny about zodiac signs: my husband is a Leo, which supposedly the characteristics are completely opposite of Cancers. How we have made it this far is the by the grace of God,lol. So HE really does have a sense of humor! I moved away from the city and people I know in order to start a life on my own. It's been six years and I haven't had to move back home, knock on wood! Currently, I am moving away from the comforts that food has brought me, and towards the comforts of having a wonderful quality of life. Of course, food is apart of the process but food doesn't fuel the process. I am learning to seek satisfaction in other things. I am finding that these other "things" give me great joy, a joy that food could not give me. I am learning to run(I really hated running, but I am starting to grow fond of it after completing my first 5K). I am reading books I would have never thought about reading, and they are opening my mind. I went over seas for the first time, which terrified me. I have found "a peace that transcends all understanding" (this isn't my quote, see 1 Philipians 4:6-7). I am becoming more comfortable moving out of my comfort zone.
Recently, a friend and I went to a wonderful concert featuring one of my favorite singers, Ledisi (if you don't know about her, you really need to check her out). While she was giving a bit of her testimony she said, "There's a door called fear, but if you open it behind it a blessing is waiting on the other side". Even though I have forced myself into uncomfortable situations, I have never fully had faith that the outcomes would be favorable. I would cry, worry, and fret over whether I made a huge mistake. The bulk of my 30 year existence was spent fearing the unknown instead of embracing it and going with the flow. Life is all about transitions. Some transitions are wonderful. Some transitions will tear you down into nothing. Yet, the wonderful aspect about being in transition is that you are always moving. The real questions are: Will you chose to move forward into the great, magnificent unknown? Or will you chose to move in a circle, where things will most likely remain stagnant and unremarkable?
I challenge everyone to move forward with me!
WEIGHT LOSS TO DATE: 58 pounds! I've got 17 more to go!
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