Comfort Zones are Slow Dream Killers

This title is actually the title to my master's thesis back in 2000 but it holds so much value with the context of creating this doc and this conference. I mean, really, if I really acknowledge my comfort zones back when I was struggling with being gay and Christian, even though I was quite the sparkler in my group of Christian friends even then, my zones were still rather naive and narrow. I missed out so much on diversity of ideas, thoughts, creative ways of doing work and living a happy life.

If I didn't take the time and emotional challenge to identify my comfort zones, I wouldn't....I COULDN'T be where and who I am today. I wasn't aligned. I wasn't aligned with God, God's Will, with myself even though I was heavily involved in church. It took courage. It always takes courage to grow. But when you know there's gotta be something better, you have to do it. You have to for yourself, for your spirit. I mean better in God's way not like easier or anything. God's way seems hard but only because it's unfamiliar, it's based on faith, taking a step and feeling secure there's a ground to place your foot upon because God won't give us anything we can't handle. I keep telling myself whenever I get to another level and it becomes hard, "don't not do it just because it's hard."

We're "different" in this society for a reason. It's our responsibility to be who we are. I just don't have the guts to tell God that he made a mistake with me. Who am I to say that to the Creator? My comfort zones are areas of my patterns that I created and wrap myself around in. But I miss out in so much if I stay there. It's like my comfort zones are eating corn meal and water every meal, every day. Hey, at least I know what it is and that I can eat it. Well, then I'll never experience God's creations in other amazing tastes in foods.

If I chose to not push out of my comfort zones, my dreams of being self employed, doing documentary work, finding the love of my life, etc would never manifest. And that would have been my choice...out of fear and therefore untrusting of how God wired me. Finally, I got out of my own way and practiced surrender. My dreams are beautiful visions and not illusions. I hope the same for you.

I hope and pray that you too acknowledge your comfort zones and see where they may be killing your dreams. But, you are not a victim. You can choose differently. For example, it's not that there's not enough time in a day, it's that we aren't managing the time we have effectively. So, change the perception and see your dreams not as illusions but visions. As Reverand Deborah Johson says, "pain pushes, until vision pulls." I wish you the best in this new year. May it be a year of hugely beneficial change.