Out of Your Comfort Zone

  There is a saying I learned years ago when I was a student of business, I don’t know who to give the credit to. Since then, I’ve seen it surface in different forms but pretty much in the same sentiment: 

What was yesterday’s favor is today’s expectation and tomorrow’s obligation. 

  I was reminded of it when I read about a musician who had created a form with a list of videosheetmusic for his customers.  At first it was fun, but then change came as more and more people became increasingly demanding.  When the demands were not met immediately he was treated rudely (I cleaned this up for the blog.)  Yet, I’ve seen similar in many walks of life.  When someone does something out of the pure joy of helping, ultimately they get entangled with an encore of expectation, followed by cursing and ridiculed when they don’t keep the performance up to increasing demands as well as to do so; faster.

  Now I am all over the place on this topic today because it came to my notice indirectly while walking our dog.  We walk him every day; it’s a routine ~ a virtual ritual… unless of course, it’s raining. Suffice to say, we’ve grown familiar with the route and most importantly, command of our dog’s behavior.  Now I believe dogs have two objectives on a walk:  Relieve themselves; and have an adventure.  On the days that I take Oscar (our pet Bichon) out early before breakfast to do his business, then his behavior during the walk is radically different than on the days he wasn’t given an early morning potty break.  On those days when he is empty, his objective is simply to have an adventure; much to my wife’s complaint.  Because then he is unmanageably distracted, and mostly wild-child-puppy.

  So what do these two perspectives have to do with one another?  It is my contention they are linked. Our routines and rituals provide a sense of comfort in believing we are safe within predicting the unfolding day.  Along with that, is a resistance to change; which is relatively the same as a growing expectation, followed quickly by obligation in doing daily activities in the same, rigid, undeviating way.  The notion that prevails is a desire to obtain the same (or preferably improved) quality in meeting ill-defined desires.  When we don’t obtain expected results, then we are unhappy; then prone to use the tools we’ve developed over the years to influence, force even, our external world to render onto Caesar (us) what is Caesar’s.   

The Uplifting segment of today’s observation is the quiet potential; the adventure if you will.  Change is our friend; it includes examining unyielding obligations we’ve grown so fond of that keep expectations warm.  If there is anything that is desired to be changed in one’s life, then ritual and routine must be addressed.  

Without challenging comfort, we’ve little to hope for than more of the same; it is essential to get out of the comfort zone; where change springs eternal. That’s just the simple math of existing in the real.