"Life begins at the end of your comfort zone" is written on a postcard above my bed. Actually, it was just a "placeholder" in a picture frame that I bought from a well-known drugstore chain. Somehow, this placeholder kept its place and has been giving me something to think about ever since.
And the more I think about it, the more vague it becomes. Could it be that this zone is not a clearly defined area at all, but rather fluid?
I feel that it is precisely the challenges that life presents to me (or alternatively I present to myself) that make me grow. Just to be ready for the next and the next. And then the one after that. A never-ending cycle, characterized by intense feelings and memorable moments, which, looking back, make my life seem so full and exciting. This blog post, for example, is a challenge for me. It doesn't flow, it creaks more. And yet I know in my heart that I need it. I need it to grow and to express what lies dormant within me. It gives me foresight. From this observer's perspective, every challenge in my life seems necessary, even indispensable. Every bead of sweat is a gift and every tear a blessing. From up here, everything makes sense and is good. Up here, it is beautiful and neutral. But nowhere near as lively and intense as on the remote beach of longing or as exciting as in the valley of risk. I only climb up here to gather courage and get ready for the next adventure, the next loop and the next hearty sigh.
And my comfort zone? It's there when I need it. It's the place that lets me regenerate. The place where my needs are met. And as soon as that's the case, I can't help but run out again, stumble and cheer. Life always lures me out, asks me to dance, to love and to go deeper.
Right now, life is asking me to align and focus, coupled with the endless missing of the most important person on earth for me, my great love. The rollercoaster continues, I'm sitting right at the front.
Are you coming?