Breakthrough Your Comfort Zone to the Success Zone

Picture this...
A little child is crawling around a new surrounding when they notice– for the first time – a huge staircase. As this little one gazes up at this new “object”, what thoughts do you think are going on in their mind? How do one-year-olds think about new things? How do they react to the unknown?
If you are around children, you know the response. They would say, "Wow, I've got to get to the top!"
Alternatively, do you think they would look up at the huge staircase and think, "Wow I've got to get to the top!" But, wait a minute…I didn't go to stair climbing school. Maybe I'm not ready. I'll just wait until I have my degree in stair climbing, and then watch me go!"
On the other hand, would this little one look up at the huge staircase and think, "Wow, I've got to get to the top. But wait… I might get hurt. I may fail. I've heard that 22% of one-year-olds fall on staircases. In fact, CNN just announced stair climbing as a code orange! It's too risky."
Or would this one-year-old think, "Wow, I've got to get to the top...But wait. What will my friends say? What if I succeed? They may think that I don't fit in with the group back in the sandbox. They might think I'm one of those snobby, famous stair climbers. You know what they say... It's lonely at the top. I better not. It's just too risky.
NOT! A one-year-old wouldn't say any of these things. A one-year-old is hungry for adventure! They have an inborn, risk-taking ability. It is their nature to risk! They see it. They want it. They take it. They taste it.
Now, listen to this: Every one of you reading this knows this child intimately; because this little one is YOU! You were once a one-year-old. You once had incredible risk-taking ability. You used to see it. Want it. Take it. Experience it with all your senses.
So, what happened? What happened to the natural risk-taking ability that you were born with?
Life happened. Circumstances occurred. Disappointments experienced. And you, like I did, began to let fear creep in. Slowly and surely, fear began to grow until it was bigger than your dream, bigger than your faith.
Have life’s circumstances and disappointments blocked out your risk-taking ability? Has fear crushed your hunger for adventure?
The first step to getting your hunger for adventure back is to recognize and honor your innate risk-taking ability. It is your nature to risk!
Understand that there are sometimes when evaluating risk and even being careful about risk is appropriate, but look around you. Isn’t there somewhere else in your life where stepping off the cliff would make more sense than being paralyzed by the fear? Breakthrough your comfort zone to the success zone!

Adapted from Lisa Jimenez, M. Ed.