Stretching Cores and Comfort Zones

A curious question arose this week from a conversation with a friend.

Let’s say you’re facing a particular situation or decision and not feeling very good about the whole thing.  You’re probably feeling stressed with some worry thrown in.  You’re running through numerous “what if” scenarios and even a fear or two or twelve are popping up.

How do you tell if the situation is pushing the boundaries of your comfort zone or pushing the boundaries of your core being, who you are deep down?  Is there even such a distinction?

After pondering on this for some time I do see such a distinction.  While  difficult to put into words and there isn’t necessarily “a one size fits all” answer, here is what has come forward so far:

• stretching your comfort zone feels bad; stretching your core being feels wrong
• stretching your comfort zone comes from the head; stretching your core being comes from the heart
• stretching your comfort zone comes to an end; stretching your core being never finishes
• stretching your comfort zone is expanding; stretching your core being is diminishing
• stretching your comfort zone results in becoming more; stretching your core being results in becoming less

In some situations the distinctions are blatantly obvious.  In others the distinctions remain almost undetectable until greater awareness of who you are and what you want to create is brought into the light.

In either case you know more fully about yourself than you did before.