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Expand Your Comfort Zone
Since my last article about having B.A.L.L.S. came out (click here if you missed it), I’ve been bombarded with comments, questions and lots of fun presents. (including my friend Laura who brought me “chocolate balls” from her travels!) YUMMMMMM!
One of the questions was about what it feels like to “expand your comfort zone” when you’re practicing B.A.L.L.S. - which got me to thinking about the summer of 2006. I was writing in my journal on a plane headed to Vancouver Canada to speak at an event given by my friend T. Harv Eker. I had just completed my first week of teaching at The Omega Institute. These two really big events in my life happened within weeks of each other.
Preparing to go to Rhinebeck, New York and teach at this prestigious retreat center, Omega, the same retreat center that has hosted Deepak Chopra, Marianne Williamson, Eckhart Tolle and most of the greatest teachers of our time was a really huge deal to me. Until that week of teaching, I had only done keynote speeches and a couple of 1-2 day events. So, I knew that teaching for 5 full days, 9am – 5pm would be challenging. What would I say? How would I develop material that was inspiring and informational? Did I have what it takes to pull this off?
The students who attended my week long workshop at Omega also stretched my comfort zone. They were CEO’s and leaders in their work. They were already very “together”, they didn’t come to my workshop to figure out their lives, they came to create a map to play even bigger in their lives.
I did *a lot* of meditating during my week at The Omega Institute. By day 2, I had used up all of my materials. That’s when I really started meditating and praying and being very quiet and still. I got up at 5am each morning and asked for inspiration. And each night before I went to sleep I asked for more guidance and inspiration. And you know what? It worked! A new idea always came and I designed a workshop that allowed for lots of interaction with the participants and lots of feedback.
Then, while I was in the woods of The Omega Institute (with no phone service), Harv Eker’s company called and wanted me in Canada in less than 3 weeks.
Sitting on that plane flying to Canada, the butterflies in my belly felt more like helicopters. I would be speaking on a stage to an audience filled with my peers. The staff would be the most well trained staff in North America, having worked with some of the most charismatic and impressive speakers in the world. How would I do? It was *a lot* of pressure!
I wrote in my journal, “Sandy, this is what it feels like to play big. It means you are going to feel uncomfortable, because you are doing things you’ve never done before. That’s how you grow. I better get used to this feeling. I better get comfortable feeling uncomfortable.”
Having that little ‘a-ha!’ in my journal that day, that stretching my comfort zone is supposed to feel uncomfortable and that as long as I continued following my dreams I was probably going to feel that way again and again, gave me a little peace.
I still felt the helicopter-sized butterflies when I walked on stage. And each time I take on something new and big and wonderful in my life I feel them again. Each time I get a little bit closer to living the biggest vision I can create for my life, I feel them again.
And you know what? I’m actually beginning to enjoy them! I’m learning to welcome them, because it is an affirmation that I’m stretching myself beyond what I know. So now I tell my clients and audiences: “If your dream doesn’t scare you a little, if you don’t have butterflies in your belly, then you need to get a bigger dream.”
You are supposed to feel scared and uncomfortable! That means you are ALIVE and you are LIVING your life to the fullest!
So, my assignment for you is:
Go Do Something That Scares You A Little Today...
Have a Faabulous Day!
Peace and Love,
"Sandy-licious"
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Sandy Grason is an Int’l Speaker, Founder and "Rock Star Author" of the bestselling book, JOURNALUTION: Journaling to Awaken Your Inner Voice, Heal Your Life and Manifest Your Dreams. Sandy defines the word JOURNALUTION as the act of revealing your inner wisdom through writing. Get some Free Gifts including "Top Ten Tips for Starting & Keeping a Journal" article *and* 30+ FREE journaling prompts now at www.SandyGrason.com
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My friend Simon T. Bailey has just come out with an amazing book that I encourage you, your friends, loved ones and co-workers to read. Simon says, “Each of us is born brilliant. Then we spend the rest of our lives having our brilliance buried by people, circumstances, and experiences. Eventually, we forget that we ever had genius and special talents, so we settle for who we are, instead of striving for who we were meant to be.”
