by Joseph Casciani
Being unpredictable adds excitement. I like to occasionally step out of my comfort zone – in what I say, what I do, and even what I wear – because it triggers different reactions from family, co-workers, and friends, and opens a world of new social interactions and opportunity. As we know, our comfort zone is that familiar, comfortable place where we feel safe and secure, where others see us act and speak in a consistent and predictable way. Stepping out of that comfort zone triggers comments, like “Why is he acting so strange – is he on something?” Or, “That was an unusual thing for you to say.” Being predictable keeps the anxiety down for our self and for others around us. Why unnecessarily create uneasiness?
In his book, “Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself,” Dr. Joe Dispenza explains how shifting away from our usual behavior patterns into unknown territory creates new and exciting opportunities in our life odyssey, as we develop new relationships, enjoy new experiences and elicit different reactions from those closest to us that, in turn, open more new doors. Do we take drum lessons when we never had any musical interest before, do we go out to dinner with neighbors that previously would be greeted with a casual wave hello, or do we volunteer at a community agency that we never aligned with in our past?
Predictable is safe. Routine is safe. Stepping out of the comfort zone, however, keeps us alert and open to new possibilities. And new possibilities provide endless sources of energy, drive, and spirit.
The Living to 100 Club is intended as a frame of mind, a metaphor for maintaining a positive outlook about ourselves and our future. There are no dues, or meetings, or even a place to hangout. This Club is open to anyone who literally plans on living to 100, and figuratively, to anyone who wants to remove all the negative mental clutter, who believes in a positive, energizing future, and who believes in our self.
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