Vibration Magazine Blog

©2010 Deborah Bier, PhD, Publisher and Editor of this blog and maker of the Whole Energy Essences

“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” Neale Donald Walsch

How often do you use the terms “comfortable” and “comfort zone,” either inwardly or out loud? How frequently do you hear them used by others? To my ears it seems to be a constant litany wherever I go.

“Oh, I couldn’t talk about how much it means to me… speaking up is just not in my comfort zone.” “Go after that big life change? Not yet — not until it’s in my comfort zone.” “I’m not comfortable with what you want from me, so I’m going to say ‘no’.”

Who said we were supposed to be so comfortable all the time? In the American culture I’ve been in my entire life, we seem to be stuck in the idea that living “comfortably” or “within one’s comfort zone” is some kind of right we have been granted by the Divine.  And to be pushed out of — or, heaven forbid, decide on our own to leave — our cozy sense of comfort is some kind of horrendous personal assault. It’s as if our Declaration of Independence said back in 1776:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created comfortable; that they are endowed by their Creator with inherent and inalienable rights; that among these, are life, liberty, and the pursuit of living within their comfort zones…”

I’m trying to remember when the term “comfort zone” and the overuse of the word “comfortable” came about. I’m also trying to remember the last time I felt I was living life within my comfort zone.  The best I can come up with to answer both questions is: “a long time ago.” Living within my comfort zone is simply not a life goal of mine; if your goals are anything like mine (maximum growth, flexibility, creativity, awe and wonder at the world we live in), then living within your comfort zone needs to completely come off your daily “must have” list.

Here’s the closest I have to any truth whatsoever to share with anyone about anything: unless you already are already living in a perpetual state of bliss, living within your comfort zone is to live in hell. Not a screaming in terror, boil in vats of lava kind of hell, but a numbing, dull, lifeless, pabulum kind where all the walls are painted off-white and everywhere is piped-in muzak.  There’s no growth, no life-affirmation, no soul, no evolution — and every change is the enemy.  A devotion to being comfortable is life-sucking at its most persistent. Did I mention that such a lifestyle could also bore you to death? Hardly sounds comfortable, now does it?  Yet so many of us live in the illusion that comfort is the ultimate, and it must never be left except kicking and screaming… and then only at the point of a loaded gun.

I’m not saying that self-flagellation — the intentional provoking of pain — is going to be the way to go instead, because the opposite of living outside your comfort zone is not pain.  It’s exactly that pain/comfort relationship that has to end: living outside of the comfort zone might be painful, or it might be the best thing that you’ve ever experienced… or somewhere in between. But let’s get real: being “uncomfortable” isn’t even close to torture. So why is it to be avoided at all costs?

If you find that you keep worrying that what you want, need, and must do or become is outside of your comfort zone and therefore you just can’t get there, then here are some vibrational essences to help break you free (all are made by Whole Energy Essences).

Security — If doing all you can to never be uncomfortable is the form of (false) security you cling to, then this special essence blend is worth trying.

Effervescence is made from potenized water, and what’s more fluid and unfixed than water? Try this essence if you’re stuck in thought and belief habits you’d like to be free from.

Monarda flower essence helps us renew our sense of commitment, restoring our passions — exactly what living too long in our comfort zone destroys.

Wand Flower puts commitment into action, getting us moving toward our greater purpose and passion.  If you know what you want and must do but can’t get out of your own way to make it happen, then Wand Flower is worth a trial.

Fireweed unblocks our vitality and life-potential, allowing us to recover from the numbness of living in too much comfort for too long.

Pussytoes helps us surrender ourselves to the process of living “out loud”.  If you’re scared to let go and flow with whatever might come next, this essence may help support you.

White Snake Root knows that if we fall down, we need not break; that we can be resilient and flexible.  If you are terrified that breaking out of your comfort zone will cause failure from which you will never recover, give White Snake Root flower essence a try.

New Creative Outlook helps us use our creativity to find fresh ways to approach our challenges. If you find yourself in a new situation but stuck in the same old ways of thinking and behaving, NCO may help you ease out of your tried-and-not-true ways.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Deborah Bier, PhD is co-editor of Vibration Magazine, and a holistic healthcare practitioner in private practice in Concord, MA. She is the author of Flower Essence Practice: For Students, Essence Practitioners & Other Healing Professionals (Windfall, 2008). She is also the author of Healthy Connections: Flower Essences for Better Family, Friend and Work Relationships; The Encyclopedia of Vibrational Essences, and Learning About Vibrational Essences (find all these titles here). She is the maker of Whole Energy Essences, and is the director of the metro-west Boston, MA office of Caring Companion Connections.