If You're Comfortable, You're Mediocre
I had dinner with a friend the other night and a motivating discussion came about as a result of our meetup. While devouring some fried green tomatoes smothered in remoulade sauce, I vaguely listened to my friend as he discussed his life experiences. I was so busy concentrating on my delicious tomatoes (I was super hungry by the way) that I could hardly hear anything he was saying until he spoke this, "If the house note you are paying makes you feel comfortable, then you need to search for a house with a note that makes you a little uncomfortable." I quickly lifted my face out of my plate and kindly asked him to repeat himself. He explained further. He said if you're in a comfortable position, you are not being stretched. He stated that humans should seek some interests that make them feel uncomfortable for growth purposes. He went on to say that a lot of people are in relationships that don't require them to grow or they go back to relationships that they once left because it's "comfortable." Same with jobs or business ventures - people won't leave a particular job or start a business or get that degree because it will take them out of their comfort zone and require them to make some moves that they have never made before. Therefore they settle and do what's easy.
“If it scares you, it might be a good thing to try. ”
I took his words in for a second and was reminded of how I live my life. I thought about when I committed to attending Howard University in D.C. My parents were puzzled and asked me what was wrong with going to the local university in which I could attend for free. I told them that was too easy to do, and I wanted to do something bigger. So at 22 years old, my friend and I jumped in the car and drove 18 hours from Monroe, LA to Washington, D.C. I got to that new city, got my school situation straight, got a place to stay, met some interesting people, and landed a few hustles. This D.C. adventure set the tone for my fearless attitude towards my adult life. From then on, I jumped at any and every opportunity to do something that made me feel a little uneasy and I still do. It's a scary thing to do sometimes and I have doubts, but in the end I find that it always works out, I learn something, and I discover that I am even more powerful and resilient than I ever knew.
Stepping outside of our comfort zone can be applied to every aspect in our lives. For instance, if you do 10 squats in the gym everyday, bump it up to 12 squats and so forth and so on. Challenge yourself to eat differently. Take a different route to work than the usual one. Read a new type of book other than your usual reads. We weren't made to be mediocre and only do what's easy. We were made to be dynamic.
We are all powerful and brilliant. There is magic inside of each and everyone of us waiting to be unlocked. All we have to do is take some different routes, and we will discover our limitless abilities.
Peace and Blessings,
- Samjah Iman
Photo Credit: @87photography87 (Instagram)