Friday, February 26, 2010

Discomfort Zones

(c) 2010 Joan M. Newcomb

Last Tuesday I interviewed Roz Savage , a petite, blond, British woman who rows by herself across oceans in a tiny rowboat.  When she was rowing across the Atlantic Ocean, she experienced every disaster you could think of, except her boat sinking.  She was absolutely miserable.

Midway through her voyage, she had a revelation that she was getting exactly what she wanted!  When people had asked her why she was attempting such a feat, she'd reply that she 'wanted to expand beyond her comfort zone!  Discomfort is what happens when you expand!  But after a while, the uncomfortable becomes comfortable, so she was able to enjoy her misery until that happened to her!

What a marvellous explanation for the periods of growth and change we go through!  As Spirit, Essence, Expanded Self, we decide to make a quantum leap.  It's pretty effortless for Us, we just think of making a change and we're already there.  Our physical bodies, however, can have a struggle catching up.

Bodies live within time and space and only know what they've previously experienced.  Being told to go a new direction, to try something they've not done before, end something that is familiar but dysfunctional, is tremendously daunting for them.

When we're viewing our reality from our body's perspective, we take the fear and misery seriously. When we see things as our Essence Self, we can be happy *and* miserable!  Although sometimes doing that, the misery or fear lessens.  Our body feels comforted when We're taking charge.

When We're in charge, we can coax our body through it's Discomfort Zone.  We can let it rest, give it good food, pamper it with a massage, simple things that are very effective!

We need to keep things simple for our body during such times.  For instance, just doing the next indicated thing than giving it a preview of the whole journey.  As Spirit we can easily see the big picture, our body freaks out when it's too far into the future.  Although sometimes a peek at a positive outcome is the encouragement our body needs.

Staying in communication with our body is helpful as well.  If we ignore our body too long, dragging it over hill and dale, it can get sick just so we'll slow down and take care of it!  It may seem wacky to talk to oneself as if talking to a child, but sometimes that's just what the body needs.

Life is a growth period, we are always growing and expanding, so going through different stages of Comfort/Discomfort.  How is your Zone right now?  Are you comfortable but getting ready for a quantum leap?  Or have you been in your Discomfort Zone for for so long you forgot there was a Comfort Zone?

Are you viewing things from your Expanded Self or from your body's viewpoint?  How does your experience change when you shift perspectives?

Two options this week (you can do one, or both, or none):

Just notice when you're comfortable or uncomfortable.  Notice what perspective you're seeing the experience from.  Make a simple shift.  Notice what happens.

Take time out, whenever you think of it, to talk to your body and find out how it's feeling.  You can journal a conversation between you and your body.  Notice what happens when you do this on a regular basis!

And let me know what happens!



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