The enemy?

Comfort feels good. Comfort is familiar. Comfort... is the enemy? We strive to grow so that we may one day be comfortable right? Yet, comfort can easily stunt our growth.

How many people do you know who are at a job that they pretty much hate? How many of those same people complain at least once a week about how they need to find a new one? Of those, how many actually do it? I myself am a victim of this. I can't count the number of e-mails from myself to myself that say "THIS IS THE ONE" or "JOB" or "GET OUT APPLY TO THIS". All of these subject lines seem pretty urgent yet they are still sitting in my inbox as unread messages. What is it that makes us comfortable? For different people, its different things...maybe the health care is really good, maybe your commute is awesome, maybe you're set in your routine and don't really want to get out of it. Perhaps your boss is pretty cool and you're afraid of who you might get next (especially when you trade boss stories with your friends...there are some crazy folks out there). Maybe you think that after this, you will be your own boss. If that's the case though, you must seriously evaluate that statement and make sure that you are actually working towards that goal (and not just telling yourself that as you watch the Giants game and surf MySpace).

How many people are in relationships just because. Maybe this was their high school or college boyfriend/girlfriend and so the partner is just always there...kinda like your favorite slippers that you just won't throw out no matter how holey or dirty they are. Maybe you're afraid that no one will get you the way this person gets you or that you won't find anyone better and then you're doomed to a lifetime of loneliness. True, stepping out of your comfort zone can be scary and painful...but it can also lead to life lessons you may have never learned if you stayed in the warm and fuzzy lap of luxury. Sure, sometimes we meet our match early in life and we stick with it because it works...we don't want to go anywhere else. Sometimes we have to step away and live a little...then we eventually make our way back. But sometimes, sometimes we just stick there and deal with more than we want to or should because we are afraid of the unknown. Sometimes we step out for a moment and realize its just too cold out, so we run right back in. But, if you just stick it out, you find you can adjust to the cold...and somewhere out there you might just get to know yourself better.

Don't get me wrong, comfort can be wonderful...but sometimes we need to be a little uncomfortable to grow.