There are so many choices every moment of every day. Food: what to eat and when. Sleep. Work vs play. Screen time: television, Facebook, Netflix, blog post, bookkeeping, etc. Outdoor chores: do I wash windows, rake leaves, cut grass again, move a garden or two, walk in the woods, ride horse, sit by a bonfire?
Comfort and Safety
We may get comfortable and even complacent with our choices. My parents exercise very early in the morning, like 5 AM?!? (What’s up with that? Oh, that’s another post! Haha) They eat out with a group of friends every Monday evening. They go to church on Saturday nights. They attend specific high school sporting events. Most of us could create a similar list. Our choices often keep us in our comfort zone.
Comfort brings a sense of safety. We don’t need as much of our brain activated because we are in a familiar space. Our body relaxes.
In this photo, the tree frog appears to feel safe and comfortable camouflaged on the hosta leaf. When have you blended into the background? Holding onto the same job or volunteering in the same capacity can result in us blending in. I believe there is a time and place for snuggling into a cozy space like the tree frog. Recognize comfort and be thankful for it. (Life would be exhausting if we never experienced the familiar.)
Step Into the Spotligh
However, it is important to step out of the shadows and into the foreground occasionally. Maybe a job change is in order. Perhaps it’s time to alter the schedule or explore a new hobby. Try a new exercise class—I’m trying out a T-tap Bootie Camp. Go to a band concert instead of a basketball game. Attend a different church service. Take a trip. Stepping out of the shadows can feel as if a spotlight is shining on us. Often the light is shining from within as we bask in the energy of newness.
This fall, a number of opportunities to branch into new space are opening up for me. Volunteering through 4-H allows me to grow a number of skills: planning, collaborating with youth, learning new apps (e.g. Sign Up Genius, Camtasia, Doodle polls) and more! Choosing whether or not to accept the invitation to teach another graduate course is another opportunity into a new frontier. Saying yes means teaching a summer course at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and devoting all of the necessary hours of first-year prep. Deciding to move out of my office is definitely stretching me beyond my comfort zone. This breath-taking choice also creates a space of anticipation to expand into more online avenues and travel opportunities.
Stretched Out
In all ho
nesty, choice making can leave us feeling stretched literally and figuratively. What opportunities might I miss by declining? Conversely, what doors are ready to open up by saying yes? The tree frog decided my presence took away his sense of invisible safety. He began to move around. Soon, he as stretched between two leaves. To me, this is the metaphor of choices. How comfortable am I in the choice making process? Do I know how to shift my weight from one side to the other? Just like a tree frog has sticky footpads, do I get stuck in any one position? Furthermore, how can I restore movement?
Choose Another Choice
Reflect. Is the choice serving you well? Would another choice offer a different outcome? Notice your physical, emotional and mental states as you weigh the pros and cons. Talk it out. If possible, test the waters. How did it go? Evaluate.
And remember, you can always choose to make a new choice.
For more on my perspective on choices, read here.
(c) 2016 cindy goldade, in-motion intelligence
