comfort zone -

Break Out Of Your Comfort Zone

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The other day I was thinking about those psychological barriers we put on ourselves called comfort zones. Those areas or events which we feel good when we are there. It is our safe place. It is where we feel warm and fuzzy. Nothing can happen to you when you are in your comfort zone. You must break out of your comfort zone to develop.

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Breaking Out Of Your Comfort Zone

For most people, their comfort zone is their home. You feel safe and comfortable inside your home. You can control what goes on there. On the other hand, if you leave your home, you lose control. When you walk into a building you have never been inside before, you feel nervous and uneasy. That warm and fuzzy feeling inside is no longer there. Your senses are heightened because you are outside of your comfort zone.

Your comfort zone is created in your mind. It is a mental boundary based on your past experiences. Everyone has a different comfort zone. Some are small, and some are extensive. Some people are only comfortable inside their homes, but not everyone. If they relate their home to previous bad experiences; it will not be comfortable for them.

Comfort Zones In Your Mind

Your brain is designed for survival and to keep you safe. It creates these comfort zones based on your experiences. Negative experiences as a child manifest as fear. Those experiences would become fearful to you and would be outside of your comfort zone.

What I am talking about is boundaries. Your mind has created these boundaries to avoid the fear that you manifested. You are born with only two fears. The fear of falling, and the fear of loud noises. All other fears you manifest, and all fears can be controlled.

When you decide to expand your comfort zone, it is a painful process. You have to overcome years of boundaries formed in your mind. Your fears will have to be faced, but you can do it. A way to describe your comfort zone is to think about a dog and an electric fence.

No Fences

When my wife and I were in Colorado, I noticed our friends’ neighborhood had no fences to separate the properties. In Florida, almost everyone builds fences around the property. I inquired as to why they didn’t build fences. The reason is that they have herds of elk, deer, and even the occasional bear wandering through the neighborhood. Therefore, the HOA outlawed fences.

Our friends have two large dogs, so they put an underground electric fence as a boundary. The dogs can run around the yard, but if they try to leave, they get a mild electric shock. It teaches them how far they can go. Inside the underground fence is the dog’s comfort zone. It becomes painful when they try to go outside their comfort zone. You are no different. You have created a boundary that becomes painful when you go outside it.

break-out-comfort-zone-dogs-two-running-tongues-hanging-out — https://unsplash.com/@alvannee

The dogs manifest a fear of the edge of the property. When they try to leave, they feel the discomfort of the collar and go back to their comfort zone. They are happy in their comfort zone. It is their warm and fuzzy place.

She is A Looker

What happens when one dog decides it wants to expand its horizons and leave? Maybe the dog is a male and sees a beautiful female dog a few houses away. First, it would slowly approach the edge, receive the shock, and jump back. Its desire to meet this female is strong. Instead of going back to its comfort zone, this time the dog stays and tries again.

Each time it receives the shock, it gets less painful. It is becoming comfortable being uncomfortable. With each try, the dog gets farther and farther, until they break free of the pain. It now has new areas to explore and sniff. New experiences are waiting for him, along with the female dog.

Painful?

Was it painful? Yes! Why didn’t he go back to his comfort zone? Because his reason for wanting to get out of the yard, (the female), was bigger and more powerful than the pain. As a result, he expanded their comfort zone. Like the dog, you must break out of your comfort zone.

If your reason for wanting to change your life is larger than the pain of leaving your comfort zone, you will do it. Slowly begin doing the things you are not comfortable doing. Try to do it a little at a time, and the pain and discomfort will diminish. You will be expanding your comfort zone. You might even break free of it altogether.

Self-improvement is painful. You have to face your fears and deal with the past. Your past has shaped you into the person you are today. You have the power to improve your future. Break out of your comfort zone for yourself and your family. Start doing those little things today!

Cites

https://unsplash.com/@lemonzandtea

https://unsplash.com/@alvannee

March 16, 2022April 3, 2022

InspireChief8 Comments

Comfort Zone

The other day I was thinking about those psychological barriers we put on ourselves called comfort zones. Those areas or events which we feel good when we are there. The comfort zone is our safe place. It is where we feel warm and fuzzy. Nothing can happen to us when we are in our comfort zone.

Get A Printable and An Editable Planner For Free. The Planner Includes A Gratitude Pad And Journaling Pages. Also A 12 Month Fillable Calendar.

Free Planner

Your Comfort Zone

For most people, their comfort zone is their home. You feel safe and comfortable inside your home. You can control what goes on there. On the other hand, if you leave your home, you lose control. When you walk into a building you have never been inside, you can feel nervous and uneasy. That warm and fuzzy feeling inside is no longer there. Your senses are heightened because you are outside of your comfort zone.

You create your comfort zone in your mind. It is a mental boundary you have created based on your past experiences. Everyone has a different one. Some are small, and some are quite extensive. Some people are only comfortable inside their homes, but not everyone. If they relate their home to previous bad experiences, it will not be comfortable for them.

The Mind

Your brain is designed for survival and to keep you safe. It creates these boundaries based on your experiences. Negative experiences as a child manifest as fear. Those experiences would become fearful to you and would be outside of your comfort zone.

That is all your comfort zone is, boundaries. Your mind has created these boundaries to avoid the fear that you manifested. You are born with only two fears. The fear of falling and the fear of loud noises. All other fears you manifest and all fears can be controlled.

Expanding

If you decide to expand your comfort zone, it is a painful process. You have to overcome years of boundaries formed in your mind. Your fears will have to be faced, but you can do it. An excellent way to describe your comfort zone is to think about a dog and an electric fence.

comfort-zone-man-bike-looking-back-your-comfort-zone-will-kill-you — https://unsplash.com/@marvelous

Wildlife

When my wife and I were in Colorado, I noticed our friends’ neighborhood had no fences to separate the properties. In Florida, almost everyone builds fences around their property. I inquired as to why they did not build fences. The reason is that they have herds of elk, deer, and even the occasional bear wandering through the neighborhood. Therefore, the HOA outlawed fences.

Shocking

Our friends have two large dogs, so they put an underground electric fence as a boundary. The dogs can run around the yard, but if they try to leave they get a mild electric shock. This teaches them how far they can go. Inside the underground fence is the dog’s comfort zone. It becomes painful when they try to go outside of this boundary. You are no different. You have created a boundary that becomes painful when you go outside it.

The dogs manifest a fear of the edge of the property. When they try to leave, they feel the discomfort of the collar and go back to their comfort zone. They are happy in there. This area is their warm and fuzzy place.

Expanding Their Horizons

What happens when one dog decides they want to expand their horizons and leave? Maybe the dog is a male and sees a beautiful female dog a few houses away. First, they would slowly approach the edge, receive the shock, and jump back. Their desire to meet this female is strong. Instead of going back to their comfort zone, this time the dog stays and tries again.

Each time they receive the shock, it gets less painful. The dog is becoming comfortable being uncomfortable. With each try, the dog gets farther and farther until they break free of the pain. They now have new areas to explore and sniff. New experiences are waiting for them, along with the female dog.

Painful?

Was it painful? Yes! Why didn’t they go back to their comfort zone? Because their reason for wanting to get out of the yard (the female) was bigger and more powerful than the pain. As a result, they expanded their comfort zone.

If your reason for wanting to change your life is larger than the pain of leaving your comfort zone, you will do it. Slowly begin doing the things you are not comfortable doing. Try to do it a little at a time and the pain and discomfort will diminish. You will be expanding your comfort zone. You might even break free of it altogether.

Self-improvement is painful. You have to face your fears and deal with the past; your past has shaped you into the person you are today. You have the power to improve your future. Break out of your comfort zone for yourself and your family. Start doing those little things today!

Cites

https://unsplash.com/@kronemberger

https://unsplash.com/@marvelous

October 24, 2021March 9, 2022

InspireChief7 Comments

Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone

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This is Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone – Episode 16 of my podcast. I’m going to talk about your comfort zone and how it can keep you from moving forward.

Exciting news!!! My course on Gaining Self-Confidence will launch this Sunday 11/15/2020. You can pre-order it now and get it at 50% off. Just click on the link or button.

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Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone

It is called a comfort zone for a reason because it is a warm and fuzzy place that makes us feel good. When we have things such as mounting debt, are involved in a toxic relationship, or are fighting an addiction, those things can be painful for a short period of time. We then have to forget about them to get back to our comfort zone.

Moving Forward

If you are doing the same daily routine, whether it’s working or not, it becomes your comfort zone. If you want to change your situation, you have to leave that comfort zone and venture out to places you’re not familiar with.

The Jungle

The jungle is a place where the vegetation is so thick that you literally can’t see someone standing five feet away from you. When we were walking through the jungle it was comfortable to walk on a path. Many times though, the paths didn’t lead to our destination and we would have to cut our way through the jungle to get there. This was uncomfortable, slow, and painful but we eventually arrived. The more we had to do this, the more comfortable and routine it became.

When you venture out of your comfort zone, at first it can be frightening, but eventually, your new routine becomes comfortable. You know your destination and you don’t care whether your new routine is showing results or not. If you believe in your heart that what you’re doing is the right thing for you and the results will come.

stepping-outside-comfort-zone-black-train — Get On Board!!

This Train Is Moving On. You Can Get On, You Can Get Off, But The Train Keeps Moving On. We are Going To The Top Of The Mountain!

November 11, 2020November 25, 2020

InspireChief11 Comments

Do Actions Speak Louder Than Words?

People talk about what they are going to do all the time. I want to see it, not hear it. Actions speak louder than words. All right, you have decided to become the person others want to be. You’ve taken that first step on your journey. Goals have been set and you have written a detailed plan for accomplishing them. Now what? How are you going to get to that finish line? You see, it’s all a waste of time and energy if you don’t begin to do the work. You have to crack that egg to make your omelet. Congratulations! It’s time to take that first step on your journey to a new you. Enjoy these actions speak louder than words quotes.

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You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.
~ Wayne Gretzky

You’ll never plow a field by turning it over in your mind.
~ Irish Proverb

Actions, it does speak louder than words

This is the most important step, ACTION. Your actions do speak louder than words. Once you have made your decision to accomplish anything, 50% of the work is done. Congratulations once again, you are already halfway there. The other 50% comes from the action of getting it done.

It’s great that you have set your goals, written a good plan, and are ready to change. Unfortunately, nothing will change without ACTION. You must do the work. This is what stops most people. They are unwilling to do the work and make the sacrifices. This is why only 1% of people succeed. You are not like most people. It is inside you to get moving and take that step.

You will either step forward into growth or you will step back into safety.
~ Abraham Maslow

Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home, and think about it. Go out and get busy.
~ Dale Carnegie

A Small Change

A small change in your thought process can result in a large change to your lifestyle. That change is called ACTION. Inaction creates procrastination, procrastination leads to more inaction. It is a vicious cycle. So, why do you procrastinate?

You have to get out of your comfort zone and that scares you.

The fear of failure.

You might have a fear of success.

Moving Day

Moving out of your comfort zone is difficult. It’s called a comfort zone for reason, it’s comfortable. You don’t like to be uncomfortable, nobody does. But it’s necessary for change.

Fears

Whenever you decide to do anything significant, like change, you experience a fear of failure. This is common. Those annoying little Doubt Demons will come out of hiding, repeating those thoughts of failure. “What if I fail, what will people say?”

An idea not coupled with action will never get any bigger than the brain cell it occupied.
~ Arnold Glasow

Procrastination also comes from a fear of success. Many people do not see themselves as being successful. What will happen in your life if you succeed in accomplishing your goal? How will your life change? If your business becomes successful, how will that impact your time? Your family? You will have to deal with these fears before you can take that first step.

Reasons

Other reasons for inaction and procrastination can be:

Your goal is overwhelming.

It’s too complicated.

The timing isn’t right.

Goals

Goals can be overwhelming. Think about if you have a goal to become a published author. The thought of coming up with an exciting plot and intriguing characters that keep the reader engaged. Writing 50,000 to 100,000 words can be staggering.

If you wait, all that happens is that you get older.
~ Mario Andretti

That Overwhelming Feeling

When you start on a new journey there can be a learning curve. Your goal can seem too complicated. If you decide to start a new business, you might not know what it takes to run a business. You will have to spend a lot of time studying and learning.

It’s Never The Right Time

Probably the greatest cause of procrastination is timing. You want to change your life, but today is not the best day to start. You don’t feel prepared. Equipment needs to be bought. How to Books need to be read. You decide to begin an exercise program to lose weight. Procrastination sets in because you don’t have the right clothes.

The superior man acts before he speaks, and afterwards speaks according to his action.
~ Confucius

The superior man is modest in his speech but exceeds in his actions.
~ Confucius

Oh, That Smell

I’m here to tell you that all the reasons outlined above are one thing. EXCUSES! They all stink.

There is one way to overcome procrastination which is created by inaction and you know what it is. ACTION! When you take that first step and put your plan to action, it does some marvelous things to your mindset. Does action speak louder than words? See for yourself.

Results of Action

It conquers your fears.

Provides you with the knowledge of how you’re going to accomplish your goal.

K. I. S. S. (Keep It Simple St***d). Things become simpler.

You will eliminate all excuses.

It will ignite a passion within you.

Stepping out of your comfort zone will become tolerable.

You will learn how to embrace failure.

Action will chase those Doubt Demons back into their hiding place. You will be able to control and conquer all your fears.

Focus On Your Why

Focusing on your WHY will keep you from worrying about how you’re going to accomplish your goals. You will learn new things and techniques to put your plan into motion. These actions speak louder than words quotes will help.

God provides the wind, but man must raise the sails.
~ St. Augustine

Never confuse motion with action.
~ Benjamin Franklin

Your mind will take your overwhelming goal and break it down. You will look at your project in smaller more manageable bits. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. (Please don’t try to eat an elephant. They are magnificent and there aren’t enough of them.)

All the excuses that caused you to procrastinate will become trivial. With ACTION you will begin to eliminate your excuses one by one. Pretty soon they will be all gone.

Let every man or woman here remember this, that if you wish to be great at all, you must begin where you are and with what you are. He who would be great anywhere must first be great in his own Philadelphia.
~ Russel H. Conwell

The Greatest Reward

The greatest reward of taking the first step in putting your plan into ACTION is passion. It will ignite a passion within you to achieve your goal. Once you have lit this passion, you become unstoppable.

Stepping out of your comfort zone is hard. Possibly, one of the hardest things you do. Once you’re out, you realize that you can survive. Even though it might not be comfortable taking ACTION, you find that it is tolerable.

Don’t be afraid to take a big step. You can’t cross a chasm in two small jumps.
~ David Lloyd George

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.
~ Aristotle

What About Failure?

Failure is going to happen. Anyone who has ever accomplished anything great has had many failures along the way. The reason that they were successful was that they persevered. You are going to have failures and setbacks along the way. Embrace your failures, don’t hide from them. Don’t use them as an excuse to quit. Once you fail, you are closer to success. They are just steppingstones along the way.

Does action speak louder than words? You bet! Do you find it difficult to get started, to begin a journey to change? Are you a victim of procrastination? Have you found that just doing something, without thinking about it, is easier for you? Do you have a story on how you defeated procrastination with action? If so, I would love to hear about it. If you haven’t joined my email list yet, click on the blue-button above. You will be able to receive my newsletters, e-book, courses, etc. You can find everything you need to grow your self-confidence.

Final Thoughts

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“This Train Is Moving on, You Can Get on, You Can Get off, But the Train Keeps Moving on! We Are Going to the Top of the Mountain!”

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August 23, 2020July 5, 2021

InspireChief65 Comments

The Art Of Moving Forward

How To Be Comfortable Being Uncomfortable

We all face challenges every day. In my post, A Flying Rat’s Ass, I talk about how life is constantly throwing obstacles at us that we must overcome. Why is it that so many people never overcome these challenges and remain the same? Others overcome great odds to change their life and live the life the Bible tells us is possible. It is a life of happiness and abundance. Why can’t we all do that? The answer is simple, comfort. Our current situation, no matter how bad it may be, is comfortable. Once it becomes so uncomfortable that we can’t stand it, only then do we take the steps to do something about it. There is a story about a man who walks into a store and sees a dog laying on the floor. The dog will moan and squirm just a little then lay still for a while. The dog keeps moaning and squirming the whole time the man is in the store. As the man is purchasing his goods, he asks the shopkeeper, “what’s wrong with your dog?” The shopkeeper replies, “nothing, he’s just laying on a nail.” The man says, “then why doesn’t he move?” The shopkeeper answers, “because he’s just not uncomfortable enough yet. When it becomes so uncomfortable he can’t stand it, he’ll go live someplace else.”

Photo by Александр Македонский on Pexels.com

As humans, we gravitate towards comfort, we like to be in situations that make us feel good. Sometimes, we will forget about the bad things going on in our life so that we can remain feeling comfortable. Those bad things, no matter what they are, must be locked in a closet so that we can pretend our lives are comfortable. It is called a comfort zone for a reason because it is a warm and fuzzy place that makes us feel good. When we have things such as mounting debt, are involved in a toxic relationship, or are fighting an addiction, those things can be painful for a short period of time. We then have to forget about them to get back to our comfort zone. Just like the dog in the story, it is only when it becomes so uncomfortable that we can’t stand it that we do something about it.

Everything is fine until the kids want to go to college.

In order to move forward, we have to make the uncomfortable comfortable. That means we have to face the demons in our lives and defeat them. We have to make a decision to change the things in our lives that have got us to where we are now and accept that we are worthy and deserving of a better life. If you are doing the same daily routine, whether it’s working or not, it becomes your comfort zone. If you want to change your situation, you have to leave that comfort zone and venture out to places you’re not familiar with. The jungle is a place where the vegetation is so thick that you literally can’t see someone standing five feet away from you. When we were walking through the jungle it was comfortable to walk on a path. Many times though, the paths didn’t lead to our destination and we would have to cut our way through the jungle to get there. This was uncomfortable, slow, and painful but we eventually arrived. The more we had to do this, the more comfortable and routine it became. When you venture out of your comfort zone, at first it can be frightening, but eventually, your new routine becomes comfortable. You know your destination and you don’t care whether your new routine is showing results or not. If you believe in your heart that what you’re doing is the right thing for you then the results will come.

Ahhhhh……

The art of moving forward is simple, you just can’t go backward. If you’re standing with your back to a wall, there’s no other place to go except forward. In the jungle, we always moved forward. If we turned around and tried to go back, we would’ve probably got lost. Yesterday I listened to the podcast, The Quote of the Day Show by Sean Croxton. He played a clip from a seminar given by Bob Proctor in which he talked about the story of “Burning the Ships.” This story has been told many times and has different versions. Bob researched the story and found out that in 711 A.D. a man named Tariq ibn Ziyad traveled from Arabia to Northwest Africa. When he arrived he recruited a group of Moors and Berbers and he had them build wooden ships. He then sailed across the small body of water that separates Northwest Africa from Spain. When they arrived, he ordered all the men off the ships and set fire to the ships. He then went ashore and told his people that they had a choice. They could go forward to victory or they could go back to the ocean and drown. He led his men to capture Spain against ridiculous odds and rule Spain for a little over 500 years.

We all have the same decision to make in our lives. Are we going to move forward to victory or are we going back to our old lives and drown? Once you make the decision to change your life, you will find yourself in an uncomfortable place. You will have to develop new routines and maybe even have to cut some people out of your life. People can pull you upwards to victory or they can be anchors and pull you down to drown in your same life. Cut yourself away from the anchor and rise up to the surface. If you’re going through challenges right now or not living the life you want to live, then make that decision to change your situation. Get off the path, take out your machete, and start cutting yourself a new path. A great life is promised to you and is awaiting you if you are willing to do what it takes to go get it. Get out of your comfort zone, be willing to take the hits, and never go backward.

You Gotta Be Willing To Take The Hits

Are you willing to burn your ships? The art of moving forward is simple, make it the only direction you can go. My train only moves forward, so if you get on, bring everything you have with you because we can’t go back and get it. If you are being challenged by life now or in the past, just keep moving forward. Every day, just keep making a little progress forward. Don’t worry about the results, genuinely believe they are coming into your heart and they will arrive. If you have overcome anything in your life or are needing encouragement, please leave a comment below. I would love to hear from you. If you like this post please click the little star and if you think you could help someone feel free to share it. If you would like to support my blog, please click on the links or product icons. Even if you are looking for something different on Amazon, if you purchase anything within 24 hours of connecting through any of the links on my page I will get credit for the sale and make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

“This Train Is Moving on, You Can Get on, You Can Get off, But the Train Keeps Moving on! We Are Going to the Top of the Mountain!”

Sharing

I believe in the power of sharing. If I read a good blog that really speaks to me and I believe it will provide value to others, I will share it. I have linked four books that I believe have value. In order to change you, you first have to change the way you think. Leaders Are Readers!

I still enjoy sitting by the pool or on my sofa with a good book. I read all kinds of books, fiction, history, biographies, and motivational. I enjoy the quiet time I get with just me and my book. But we live in a fast pace society today where sometimes we need to combine our tasks. Do you find yourself short on time? Are you constantly saying, where did the time go? You are not alone. I believe that we all feel like we don’t have enough time to get everything accomplished and what usually suffers is me time. A shortcut that I have found helpful is my Audible Membership and Kindle Unlimited Membership. I listen to books on audible while I’m doing other things. I can listen while getting dressed, while I’m working out, and even while I’m preparing dinner for my family. It is a great way to get my reading in even when I have a full to do list that I have received from the Mrs. She doesn’t take kindly to me ignoring her to do list while I catch up on my reading. With an Audible Membership it’s a win-win for both of us. I can download great books on this and listen to them with my AirPods. I use my AirPods every time I exercise. They don’t fall out and the sound is great. With Kindle I can download books, magazines, and my daughters can even download their college textbooks. This is so much easier than carrying a heavy backpack full of textbooks around campus. The books can be downloaded to any device and read with the Kindle app.

Both the Audible Membership and Kindle Unlimited Membership are currently offering a 30 day free trial. You can sign up by clicking on the links and give it a test drive for 30 days free. If you find it’s not for you, simply cancel your membership before your 30 days are up and you won’t be charged.

Do you know someone who is always in a hurry and can’t seem to take time for themselves? We all do. I would suggest checking out giving an Audible Membership as a gift. It is a great gift idea for someone who is always on the go,

The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. A book that will change your life. It answers the question, Why do some people have everything and others struggle? The answer is simple, they know the secret. It has changed my life and can change yours.

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. This is an oldie but goodie that is full of relevant life lessons. It is a book that you hear speaker after speaker refer to. Successful people all have the same mentality and know you have to change the way you think to be successful. Only one percent of people set goals.

Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind And Defy The Oddsby David Goggins. I really enjoyed read this book and I found it very relatable. If you want to become more than you are today, read this book. After you finish there will be no excuses. David is just an ordinary guy who made the decision to be extraordinary and was determined.

The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. A must read for anyone wanting to change their habits. A great book for managers and leaders. Covey teaches you how to transform your thoughts to not on help you but also to help others. These are 7 principles to definitely incorporate into your life.

I appreciate every like, follow, comment and share. Keep’em coming.

May 12, 2020April 3, 2022

InspireChief21 Comments

Is This It?

What if this is it? What if your life, right now, is as good as it’s going to get? How does that make you feel? For me, it would not make me feel particularly good. You see, I’m in my 60th year on this rock, retired, and what I would consider successful. So I could sit back and enjoy my remaining days in relative comfort. I could read some good books, fish more, and enjoy a glass of scotch every now and then. I can’t do that because I still have the drive. I love to be challenged, I love to be uncomfortable, and to push myself to be better. The song, Walk by the Foo Fighters sums it up for me. I’m always “learning to walk again.” When one chapter in my life closes, I have to open up another and start from scratch to learn something new. I have to learn how to live life over again. “I don’t ever want to die,” is a great line from the song. Life is about the journey and as long as you continue your journey, you’ll never die while you’re living.

Walk by the Foo Fighters

I have climbed many mountain peaks in my 60 years. I have listened to the crunch of the pebbles under my feet and felt the coolness of the rocks as I grabbed them to pull myself up. Every time I succeeded in something and reached that mountain peak, I have a tendency to sit back and enjoy the view for a while. There are times when I thought that I would never have to climb another mountain. I would think that this is it, that I don’t have to go through any more pain or hardships. That I had finally arrived. Then I would look up and there it was, another mountain peak calling my name. That drive would kick in and the pain and hardships would become a distant memory like the heartbreaks of youthful love. Off I would go to tackle another challenge. When I conquered that challenge, I would look up and there would be another mountain peak. Some people would say that I’m just a glutton for punishment, but I would say it’s just part of the journey of life. I was never happy sitting on the sideline, I always wanted to get into the game. I never wanted to look up at the mountain from the ground, but rather look down at the ground from the peak.

When I wrote my post titled, “The Journey,” the majority of my memories were about the process, not the completion. I have fond memories of going through different training and schools in the military and with DEA. Several of the schools involved a lot of physical hardships and painful experiences, but I wouldn’t trade them for anything. It makes me happy to relive those times in my mind. That was my journey and I enjoyed it. We are all on a different journey and I encourage you to enjoy every moment of it. Challenge yourself and become better than you are right now.

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When I began with the question, “What if this is it,” I hope it brought out a little fear in you. I want you to feel that tight, nauseous, nerve-racking feeling in the pit of your stomach. I want you to say, “NO! I want something better.” No matter where you are in life, you should always want something better. You should always be striving to achieve more. Put yourself in uncomfortable positions, positions that suck. Make those uncomfortable positions comfortable and then go out and find something else that is uncomfortable. There is so much out there for each and every one of you and you can have whatever you want as long as you’re willing to go through uncomfortable times.

Can you endure the pain?

There isn’t anything special about me, I can’t play a musical instrument or build a house. I can do just about anything as long as I have instructions. I can follow instructions or a good YouTube video that shows me how. I’m pretty much just like the majority of the people on the planet, and you probably would not look twice at me if I sat down at the table next to you in a coffee shop. I’m just me. It is said that God gives us our gifts at birth. One of the gifts that God gave me was patience. I don’t have to have something right away. I’ve sat on the runway in the middle of nowhere for three days waiting for a plane full of drugs to arrive. I could sit in my car on surveillance for 8 to 12 hours and it never bothered me, others would start complaining after an hour. My patience allows me to set a goal and work towards that goal without expecting results immediately. A lot of people give up on their goals because they don’t have the patience to let their goals grow and give their plan time to work. We have become a “Drive-Thru” society where people want to order something, pull up to the window, and have it already prepared for them. I would rather eat at a restaurant where the chef takes his time preparing the meal. It might take longer, but in the end, it tastes so much better. When I set a goal to accomplish something I always put an end date on the goal. If for whatever reason I don’t accomplish my goal by that end date, I just reset the date. I don’t change the goal.

Do you want more out of life or is this it for you? Are you satisfied with where you are today in life or do you want to make a change? Are you willing to take on something outside of your comfort zone? Is putting up with some physical or mental discomfort too much for you? When you see successful people, do you think that they are different than you and that’s why they are successful? They’re not. They’re just people like you and me. They had a dream, set a goal, made a plan, and worked on their plan. Whenever they would run into roadblocks, they just adjusted their plan, they didn’t change the dream. If you’re not happy with your life as it is today then, change it.

This Is Not It!!

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May 7, 2020April 3, 2022

InspireChief6 Comments