I am.....

If you have been following my blog you know these cards are called the I Am...... Cards.  The idea is to pull a card each day to read a positive affirmation to fill your mind with.  By focusing on positive thoughts, you can change how you feel and the way you think.  It's a simple way to experience life in a new and exciting way, and to explore your mind with the thought behind the "I am".... card of the day.

I am....flexible.

  

When I pulled this card I laughed out loud at the message. I was JUST told last night by someone I am just getting to know that one of their observations of me was that I was able to adapt to most circumstances, which of course for me goes hand in hand that I am flexible.

"Your comfort zone is not a place that you want to remain in. 

Dare, discover, be all that you can be." ~ Catherine Pulsifer

Yes, there are MANY areas in my life where I am flexible.   I think when change comes down the pipeline I am quick to express my likes or dislikes about the change and then I am also quick to get the new change into my head and adapt in any way I need to so that I can continue to succeed in my life. 

Of course for the most part if I had the choice I would really not want a lot of change in my life.  Like most people I get myself into my comfort zone and I want to stay there and enjoy the security of feeling safe.  For me, and for most others, my comfort zone relates to my anxiety level.  The lower my anxiety the greater the comfort zone is for me and human nature keeps me there. No one wants to feel anxious, high levels of stress or have feelings of insecurity.  But in life, as we all know, change is always inevitable..... Good or bad. 

There is a type of anxiety that is good for us all, it's called Optimal Anxiety.  This is a higher level of anxiety that pushes us to perform better and do more. Anyone who has ever set a goal and pushed themselves knows this level of anxiety is what gets us to a new accomplishment level.  But it's a known fact that too much anxiety and our bodies shut down and we do less than what is typically normal for us. 

Being flexible in simple situations in my life has allowed me to be more flexible and adaptable when changes I do not foresee coming happen. Continually allowing myself to step out of my comfort zone in small ways reminds me that if I can be flexible with these little changes then I can really focus on the big changes and allow myself to brainstorm and problem solve the bigger issues.  

For me getting out of my comfort level is a learned skill.  I tend to be an A to Z girl. I will go from one end of the scale all the way to the other end without a blink of an eye.  This is what needs to be done; this is how I am going to get there and then BOOM.. I am there.  What I tend to forget is all the area in the middle.  There is so much to learn from the middle, there is so much to experience and so many people and other opportunities there too.

As I think about my life and my routines I think of new ways that I can change those routines up to have more life experience thus forcing me out of this comfort zone I am currently in.  It's the little changes that we can make that will really change us.  Here are some of the changes I am going to try and focus on to get out of my current comfort zone:

I am going to try and do everyday things differently.  My daily routine is pretty much the same each weekday.  But what if I changed the hours I worked, or the hours I went to the gym.  What if instead of working at the same gym each day of the week I went to other locations and experienced the workouts there and the people?  What new doors could that open up for me?

I tend to go to the same places for food or drink that are in my comfort zone.  The staff and other patrons know me there.  I know the menu and the choices and I know that satisfied feeling I have going to those locations.  But what if once or twice a month I went somewhere new?  What new foods could I try, what new people and cultures could I experience? 

I am going to slow down when making choices in my life.  As stated before I tend to be A to Z.. I really want to see what's in the middle and see what it has to offer.  Typically I know when I do not like something; I will move past it and never look back.  But what if I gave it two or three more chances to really experience it and perhaps learn something new about myself.  I do not want to be so quick to just make my decision and move on.  I really want to learn to slow down in the moment.  

I am going to stop fearing fear.  Fear protects me but it also hinders me and prevents me from living the life I am meant to live.  It can be overwhelming at times and it can also be so faint I do not really grasp that fear is keeping me in a place I no longer want to be at.  As I begin to understand the fear in my life and address it, rather than pretend I am strong and it's not there, I know the more I will be able to break free from it.

These are only a few ideas that I have to allow myself out of my comfort zone and be even more flexible.  But once we get into our minds that it's possible we can really begin to make big positive changes.  

I always want to be flexible.  I always want people to know I am flexible and as long as I am not taken advantage of they can count on this from me.  Being flexible is a good thing and a quality I want to continually improve on.  

What areas are you flexible on and what areas do you need to work on?  Can you make a list of changes you want to make and take the steps necessary to make them?   Of course you can!  

Make today the FIRST day you allow yourself out of your comfort zone and be just a little more flexible and then continue to build on that daily in any way you can.

We all have the ability to live the life we were meant to live, let’s start doing it sooner than later!

~Mellie