...and I'm not talking about clothes! It
referres to life. Think about it - do you feel too comfortable in your
life? It means you're doing it wrong.
It's one thing to be happy and at peace - we
all strive for that - and quite another to be lulled into routine. The status
quo. Your little box where nothing ever changes and nothing shakes your ground.
'Get out of the box' is a rather abused
phrase, mostly by those who are helplessly stuck in their boxes. Sometimes I
doubt if people actually know what it means. It means exposing yourself to
uncertainty, to the new and unfamiliar, to what we fear. Because it is the only
way we can grow. That way you have to raise your game, and widen your horizons.
Most people believe that the unknown will be much more painful than what they're
already experiencing. Believe me when I tell you, it will not. There is nothing
worse than looking back at all the missed opportunities and wasted potential. 'Comfort zones are plush-lined coffins.'
Of all the things my mother taught me, there
is one sentence that stuck in my head, and I never forgot it since my
childhood. I'll try to translate it -- life doesn't forgive you for the missed
opportunities. I was ten or eleven when she told me that, and ever since it was
my motto. I was actually always afraid of missing an opportunity or a chance.
It was that fear that pushed me to try, to grow, to jump into the unknown. It
was scary, but it felt good every single time. The more afraid I was of
something, the more joy it brought me. That is the only way I feel alive.
Don't let the fear of failing at something
stop you from trying. By focusing on your flaws and weaknesses, you set
yourself to fail. Instead, why not focus on what you're good at, and aim to
become better. If you do that, I promise, you'll see miracles happen.
I firmly believe that laziness is the worst of
all the flaws. You are not supposed to do what’s easy, but what’s good. Just imagine,
if you weren’t lazy, so you went out for a run, at least once in a week. You’d
have that dream body by now. Or if you spent one hour every week learning
another language. Or practicing your illustration skills. Imagine you spent
this weekend studying for that exam instead od sitting in front of tv. These
are all small changes, that we are sometimes too lazy to make because we don’t
see what they sum up to. And they sum up to amazing things eventually.
So next time you’re too lazy to move your ass
and get things done, or you’re afraid – just try to see things from another,
longterm perspective. Everything you could do, everything you could become is
within your reach. Great things are not accomplished in one day, they take time
and persistence and commitment. They take risks, and enduring the discomfort. So
get out of that plush-lined coffin!
Do something uncomfortable today. By stepping out of your box, you don't have to settle for what you are - you get to create who you want to become.
