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Whenever
I find myself caught in a mental
tailspin, I reach for one of
three little books (Choice,
Renewal, and Purpose) I have
propped up in the corner of
my office next to my desk. The
Portable 7 Habits are little
books written and presented
in a fun, easy read, inspirational
format, by Franklin Covey.
Today
I picked up Renewal and read,
“Safety is the most unsafe spiritual
path you can take. Safety keeps
you numb and dead. People are
caught by surprise when it is
time to die. They have allowed
themselves to live so little.”
This
quote by Stephen Levin, a poet,
author and spiritual teacher,
caught my attention because
lately I’ve been pondering the
topic of “comfort zone” (safety)
and how often I find myself
outside of mine. As a
basketball referee, naturally,
you can guess how often. On
the basketball court surrounded
by screaming fans and sometimes
explosive coaches it can get
quite uncomfortable.
I
discovered early on in my basketball
officiating career that you
can’t be a people pleaser and
referee. You simply have
to master the rules, be confident
in your ability to apply, interpret
and implement them and then
make the call. My experience
has been that the people exhibiting
the most fury over a call, don’t
know the rule. Granted…as
officials we do make mistakes…of
course…we’re human. (FYI,
it’s impossible to have 3 seconds
in the lane if there’s a shot
in the air. So next time
you’re screaming 3 seconds and
the referee isn’t making that
call…check where the ball is
at the time.) Needless to say,
I’ve learned a lot about becoming
comfortable out of my comfort
zone. Or maybe better
said, expanding my comfort zone.
Jennifer
Louden, a best-selling author,
life coach and social commentator
said, “I define comfort as self-acceptance.
When we finally learn that self-care
begins and ends with ourselves,
we no longer demand sustenance
and happiness from others.”
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Ahh,
so my comfort zone is where
I experience self-acceptance?
Interesting. And
I can also say that my personal
acceptance rate is higher in
places I’ve previously experienced
and excelled in. I think
that’s probably the case for
most people…if you’ve been there
and done that before…then you
expect the same or similar results.
In
owning and operating my own
business much of the same applies.
Oooh, talk about risk
taking, and stretching the realm
of personal possibility? But
without taking that first step
into unfamiliar territory nothing
would ever change. And
let me tell you, having lived
in unfamiliar territory…often…it
stretches you, molds you, drives
you to keep trying new things.
Pioneering new ground
is scary on one side and satisfying
on the other. At any moment
you can fail, but at any moment
you can also succeed. That’s
the joy of trying.
When
I look up to people I admire…to
name a few…
General
Dwight D. Eisenhower,”There
is no victory at bargain basement
prices."
Amelia
Earhart, “The most effective
way to do it, is to do it.”
Eleanor
Roosevelt, “Human beings have
never been as fine as they should
be except individually in great
crises.”
…I’m inspired by
the mere fact that they didn’t
set out to do great things.
They simply lived who
they were and greatness followed…but
I suppose this depends on your
perspective.
Day-by-day
downtown Jackson is collectively
stretching and expanding its
comfort zone. So long
as we continue to take action…all
will be well. Because
as best selling author Victoria
Holt said, “Never regret. If
it’s good, it’s wonderful. If
it’s bad, it’s experience.
Dickson
is the owner of The Dickson
Gallery of Fine Art at 118 E
Lafayette Street. She may be
contacted by email at rachel@dicksongallery.com
or by phone at 423-9708.
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