Explore Your Edge

There is, within each of us, an impulse to evolve –- to grow, be more, do more, have more, and experience more. I often hear people say, “I know I’m capable of doing much more, but I’m not sure what I want to do or how to make it happen.” Here is the key:

The way I see it:

Life begins where your comfort zone ends.

Wanting more out of life is natural. For many people the majority of what they are doing has nothing to do with what is most important to them.  So they are exhausted and unfulfilled.  Imagine what could be possible for you if you took the time to discover what is truly important to you, prioritized your time and activities and started living up to your full potential. So much of what you are capable of has yet to be discovered and explored — aren’t you curious? So, what’s stopping you? Why don’t you have the life you can picture yourself having? Why aren't you the person you know you can be?

Here’s the thing –- we don’t evolve by doing the same things over and over. To realize more of your potential, you will need to step out of your comfort zone and start living on your evolutionary edge. Challenge yourself, take risks, think, feel and do things you have never done before, it can be scary. Most people won’t even step out onto that edge because it is uncomfortable. We are hard-wired to seek pleasure and avoid pain. We take the first twinge of discomfort as a sign that we are doing something wrong, or heading in the wrong direction, and will immediately retreat back to the comfort zone.

How comfortable is your comfort zone?

Think about how many of these words apply to how you are feeling about your life right now:   stuck, stagnant, dull, lifeless, uninspired, indifferent, disengaged, isolated, confused, doubtful, struggling, helpless, powerless, insignificant, hopeless, negative, unenthusiastic, incapable, weak, disconnected, unhappy, tired, anxious, depressed, angry, mediocre, surviving, dwelling on the past…

Are you feeling comfortable? Staying too long in your comfort zone will create the worst kind of pain. If pain or mediocrity has become your comfort zone, perhaps you have overstayed your welcome.
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All possibilities exist in what Deepak Chopra calls “the field of pure potentiality” our unexplored potential, the unknown; but in the "unknown" you don’t know what’s going to happen or how, so you choose to go back to the predictability of your comfort zone. You feel safe with the outcome of your actions there because you’ve experienced it before. But inevitably you will meet with failure –- those habitual thoughts, ideas, and actions are only good enough to get us what we already have.

What if the challenges you currently face are the map you need to get you back to your inspired, enthusiastic, radiant self.  How would your life be different if you made a conscious decision to get up each day and just give it all you’ve got? If you decided to show up for life every day and commit yourself to being as excellent as you can be, how would your life change?

It’s OKAY to acknowledge if you are afraid or uncomfortable, but are you willing? If you are willing to “get comfortable being uncomfortable,” to live on the edge of what you know and don’t know, what you have explored and experienced and what is waiting to be experienced and developed, the possibilities are endless. The path to self-discovery may be awkward and scary, but is also exciting! It’s about doing new things, having new experiences, meeting new people, and having fun!

So here’s the question: Where is your edge? Where is it in your career?… In your relationships? Your health? Your finances? Your social life? Where is it in your education and mental development? In your spiritual development?

The evolutionary edge is where our change and growth occurs –- where we learn about ourselves, progress, and become more flexible mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Imagine feeling courageous, confident, energized, challenged, passionate, adventurous, empowered, creative, vulnerable, willing, committed. When you are living on your edge, you are allowing, thriving, facing your fears, taking chances, speaking your truth, living in the moment, experiencing the experience.  You will open yourself up to new opportunities, move in the direction of full self-expression, know yourself and feel comfortable in your skin.  You will live your life with conviction, purpose, honesty, integrity, excellence, self-esteem, trust, and gratitude.

If you are satisfied with mediocrity, then being your best and living on your edge every once in a while will do just fine. But if you are interested in living a fabulous life, you must live on your edge EVERY DAY. 

A fabulous life is nothing more than a series of fabulously lived days strung together.
Remember, life in the comfort zone is not that comfortable anyway, so you might as well choose to live with the discomfort that will benefit you -– Explore Your Edge!