Stepping Out of Our Comfort Zone

Don’t be afraid to expand yourself, to step out of your comfort zone. 
That’s where the joy and the adventure lie.  Herbie Hancock

Week 35 

I was at a meeting this week and a school administrator named Frank was talking about how to raise the level of student learning.  He suggested we really pay attention to a child while he's playing a video game.  He asked us, “What happens when he wins at a certain level …what’s the reward?”  There was silence…. Then someone from the group whispered, "the reward is the next harder level".  “Yes,” he repeated enthusiastically, “When he gets it right, the reward is a harder challenge!  And it's that new challenge that motivates him!” 

He went on to ask us, "So, if I’m doing a math problem in school and get the problem right, then typically what's my reward?" Someone was quick with the answer, "Doing 50 others just like it?" We laughed.

Frank reminded us about a familiar education theory called the ‘zone of proximal development’ that says that there is an zone in which maximal learning takes place.  That zone is between a challenge that is slightly out of the student's comfort zone and may cause some frustration, but yet not so much frustration that she gives up. "So," Frank concluded,  "In order for our students to reach their potential, we need to be continuously stretching them, which means coaxing them out of their comfort zone." 

I call myself a 'life long learner' and the whole discussion about the comfort zone made me think; If I'm going to strive to reach my potential, I spose that requires me to spend more time out of my comfort zone?

But, as I get older, I like being in my comfort zone better. I have my routines down and they work pretty well for me.  I find myself in autopilot much of the time. I take the same route to work each day, sit in the same pew at church, buy the same things at the grocery store, and go to the same places to eat.  I take the same path on my walk and watch the same news show each evening….same ole, same ole.  It doesn't require me to have to make many decisions and it keeps my frustration level down.

Well, here’s a sobering quote I came across by a guy named Stan Dale. “Comfort zones are plush lined coffins.  When you stay in your plush lined coffins, you die.” Yiks!... I guess that makes sense when you think about us in the context of living things; if we're not growing, then were dying?

So this week I’m going to burst out of my comfortable coffin! …. Well, maybe more like gently coax my body out of my soft, warm, resting place and go in search of joy and adventure.  I’m not exactly sure what I will do…but I think just being open to it will create a lot of opportunities for me.  I’m going to change it up this week.  I’d like you to do the same.  Each time we come to something that seems like our usual routine …. let’s try something different.  

I’d love to hear from each of you about at least one thing that you have done to stretch yourself and tell us if indeed it brought you joy and adventure.  No doubt the universe will present us with lots of chances…so pay attention. 

So others can hear about your responses, type into the comment section or email me at:  Smallsteps4bigresults@yahoo.com

An Attitude of Gratitude



The world has enough beautiful mountains and meadows, spectacular skies and serene lakes.  It has enough lush forests, flowered fields and sandy beaches.  It has plenty of stars and the promise of a new sunrise and sunset every day.  What the world needs more of is people to appreciate and enjoy it.  ~Michael Josephson

Week 34

I had lunch with a friend last Friday. We had a picnic at a place called Yuma Wetlands Park.  We sat in folding chairs amongst palo verde trees and mesquite bushes, flushed with small yellow flowers.  We spent the hour catching up on our news while listening to the cooing of the doves and the echo of giggling children in the nearby playground.  A family of quail pecked away in the dirt and paraded single file through our lunch site, albeit only for a short visit. We sipped our iced tea with fresh squeezed lemon, shared a chicken wrap and finished off our visit with some crunchy apple slices and homemade chocolate chip cookies.  We laughed as we wondered what it would take to get hammocks brought out to our special lunch spot.  I felt grateful for this lovely afternoon.

Yesterday morning I went to visit my mother-in-law early for breakfast.   She’s been in and out of the hospital since the end of January and is currently in a rehab center trying to get strong enough to move to assisted living.  I was feeling depressed when I left her, as she seems to be slipping away, but when I stepped outside I was greeted by the morning sun exploding across the horizon, spilling magnificient layers of orange and red colors.  It was such a potent reminder to me of the beauty of life and hope, and my heart was suddenly filled with gratitude.

I drove home listening to the morning news; I heard about the killings of innocent women and children in Afghanistan, North Korea’s and Iran's nuclear weapons threat, political unrest in Africa, marches on Wall Street, a weakening economy, staggering gas prices, the ranting rhetoric of politicians and the horrible lingering drug wars in Mexico and South America until I couldn't listen to it any longer. I turned it off and thought about going for a long walk as soon as I got home.

I quickly threw on some grubby clothes and grabbed a bottle of water and headed out the screen door and nearly ran into our cocky resident roadrunner.  He made me chuckle as I watched him strut his stuff around the ocotillo and bottle brush in pursuit of any yummy morsel of bug he might catch....funny creature...I left him to his breakfast and continued on.  I took a deep breath and filled up my lungs with the fragrance of the orange and lemon blossoms .... such a refreshing scent only God himself could create. 

There are still a few pieces of very sweet fruit hanging from last years citrus crop so I reached up high and pulled down a bright orange tangelo. I easily pealed it, then pulled it apart and ate it, as the juice was dripping down my chin ...... Such simple enjoyable pleasures made me stop and ponder about life.. Even In the midst of it all; sickness, poverty, sadness, death, wars… we still live in a beautiful world and we should take time to appreciate it and our lips should continue to speak words of gratitude... 

After returning from my lovely walk in the crisp morning air, I checked my email and experienced a jolt of ‘synchronicity’.  A friend had sent me this link to a ‘YouTube’ video and I realized I wasn't the only one thinking about gratitude….

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=gXDMoiEkyuQ&vq=medium

(Please be patient as the video may take a few minutes to load up… I think you'll enjoy it)

Small steps:  Pay more attention and be more thankful to our beautiful world, God’s gift of creation.