A trapeze artist with a death wish

You've been lied to.

You’ve been lied to about comfort.

“Life begins outside your comfort zone.”

That’s the lie. 

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In her 1929 essay, “A Room of One’s Own, Virginia Wolfe made a claim.

“A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.”

In 1905, Albert Einstein published four papers, including an introduction to his special theory of relativity.

He developed those papers while working behind a quiet desk at the Swiss Patent Office.

Mozart was employed as a court musician by the prince of Salzburg from 1773 to 1777.

During this time, he composed "Jeunehomme” — his breakthrough work.

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In life, we’re made to think we should feel guilty for embracing comfort.

We’re told that comfort gridlocks our growth — that comfort chops our potential.

But the truth is the opposite:

Comfort is a prerequisite for the conditions that create growth.

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Growth requires confidence.

To exceed our limits, we need to believe our potential is greater than we’ve shown.

Growth requires curiosity.

To explore our potential, we need the freedom to wonder about what exists.

Growth requires stability.

To reach new heights, we need to start with firm footing.

It’s hard to be confident under clouds of conflict.

It’s hard to be curious in survival mode.

It’s hard to feel stable amid stress.

Anxiety, tension, and unease destroy your comfort zone.

If you want to grow, you have to be comfortable.

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Instead of looking at your comfort zone as a place that’s holding you back, look at it as a place that can propel you forward.

Rather than avoiding comfort, work hard to build a life of comfort. Then take that comfort, weave it into an ever-ready safety net, and flip through life like a trapeze artist with a death wish.

Comfort is not the enemy.

Complacency is the enemy.

Satisfaction is the enemy.

Stagnation is the enemy.

Don’t build comfort just to tear it down. Build comfort — then take advantage of it.

Once you’ve built a comfortable life, push yourself with the knowledge that failure will simply become experience. Leave your comfort zone in outlandish ways, knowing the base you’ve built will not crumble.

Life does not begin outside your comfort zone.

Life begins because of your comfort zone.