This is my day #2 of my "40 days-Lent-blog-a-thon, and per the list from "40 Things to Give up for Lent" ( http://gs4nj.org/40-things-the-give-up-for-lent-the-list/ ) today I chose:
"Your Comfort Zone – It’s outside our comfort zones where new discoveries are made."
Personally, I'm very apprehensive of "comfort zones." I still don't know if people understand comfort zones are an "illusion." On my desk, there is a "fortune cookie message reading: "In life, it's good not to get too comfortable." And that is totally true. In my relationship with food, I've found out when I'm in my "comfort zone," I simply stop trying to make better choices. I take for granted the moment I'm living in, thinking it is going to last forever. And I do it with both, the happy moments and the not-so-happy moments. For the first time in my life, I'm revisiting what I've considered as my "comfort zones" and ironically, one of my discoveries I identified as a comfort zone is about being overweight. Because I spent 3/4 of my life being on "the chubby" side, this is where I feel "comfortable" navigating on... Which is not only ironic, but an oxymoron as well, because why do I always "go back" to the hardest, most challenging (not the good challenges, the other kind..) and "think" I'm "comfortable" when everything is "uncomfortable" (i.e. clothes don't fit, no energy, always tired, feeling sick, worthless, etc.?)
Yesterday, I had my weekly WW meeting, and I lost -2lbs. Which is great! However, my "comfort zone" got shaken up again because you know what that meant??? My daily points allowance got down, too. Which means... less food (well, at least the kind of food I like because fruits and veggies are "0" points.) It is good and I know it was going to happen from time to time, but not when I had my days already "figured it out" and I was "comfortable" with the program. Another "comfort zone" I need to work on is being so "non-confrontational." Especially when people around you makes hurtful comments about things you care about. Special Needs children and adults are my people. Don't mess with them if you don't understand what they and their families are going through. I wish I could be more quick to react when offensive things are being said and have the sharpness and wittiness to have the perfect response right then and there. If we're talking about "wish list" on how to have a great response, not only to educate the ignorant, but also to raise awareness without bringing out all the rage contained within me. Someone near me said to another person when sharing a story about a Special Needs teacher being bitten by a little girl. "They need to put a harness on them:" The tone and the way it was said put my stomach in knots. Yes, it sucks, yes, they can get aggressive from time to time. Some of these kids cannot express themselves, nor deal with frustration and all the things physically and mentally affecting them. I Thank God for all those Special Needs Teachers having the gift and ministry to work with them. But I didn't say anything. I've tried, but "English" betrayed me. I couldn't put my English words together to express what I wanted to. And I kept my mouth shut, in my "comfort zone" of not wanting to "ruffle any feathers."
To those afraid of losing "your comfort zone" I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news...but there is only so much you can do, and honey, doesn't matter how hard you try, when it is time for "life" to take over and shake you up a little bit, doesn't matter how much you cry, scream, deny, insult, etc. etc. your circumstances are going to change; like it, want it or not. Because we have "freewill," if you decide to go back to a previous "comfort zone," same thing...it means to just go in circles for nothing, as we said in the beginning, it's an illusion.
Let go of your comfort zone, do not fear change. "It is what it is," embrace it and make it work. I will work around with my "less points per day" food intake, and how to be assertive and confrontational when needed to be. I just pray I'll do it in a way that builds and not destroy. Because, if someone have discovered better than anyone that a "comfort zone" is an illusion, it is the Special Needs community.
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