Challenge yourself.
Go through your routine today as though you've never done it before. Put your coat on standing in a different direction, with your gloves on first. Carry your bag on the opposite shoulder of your usual. Brush, comb or style your hair and brush your teeth with your less dominant hand. If you're going to class (of any kind), stand, sit or lay in a place other than "your spot". Teachers, share your stuff from a different spot as well!
Sing along with a song you've never heard before or never learned the words to.
No problem, you say? Cool. Then you are okay with stepping outside your comfort zone - you and your brain. Great, now do it some more!
Why? Why go to the trouble?
To give yourself more options.
Comfort Zone. COMFORT Zone. Comfort ZONE.
COMFORT ZONE.
Two big words, yes?
We have comfort zones all over the place: who we talk to when we call the doctor's office, which kind of fitness class we are willing to attend, which restaurants we frequent, what kind of people we seek for relationships, the jobs we search for, the lane we prefer to drive in and the subjects it's "ok" to talk about. That list is just a drop in the bucket and yours may be completely different, but you get my point.
Good thing: sense of familiarity so we feel safe. Even if something small changes (a new person in class or a change on the menu), we can manage. We don't have to think about stuff so much when we know how the process works. We can relax (good thing) and switch to autopilot (ok under extreme stress, not so good as a permanent way of life).
Not-so-good thing: a tendency to get into habits and lean away from new things. We fail to stimulate our minds, bodies, spirits and emotions and without stimulation, not alot of growth takes place.
Stimulation is an interesting process! It doesn't take alot of it to change the way we feel. This I know. What I don't know is why and how little is required to actually produce change so I've got some homework to do.
So get up from reading this and do something that makes you feel a little awkward - or a lot awkward if you're feeling daring!! And then congratulate yourself - awkward is gooooood! That's your nervous system saying, "wait! I don't know this, give me a second to adjust".
Go out today and experience the Joy of Awkwardness!
And let me know how it goes.
Lordy. I just typed up a really, really long comment and when I went to post it, I received the error "Sorry Blogger cannot complete your request". Guess it was too long!
ReplyDeleteThe gist of my missive, Catherine, was to let you know that awkward -- at least related to dance -- is something I've seldom experienced (other than perhaps the adult ballet class I took back in the 80's...I was the epitome of awkward then). However, social scenes and dating, stepping out of my comfort zone...awkward was my middle name in those situations. Not anymore...well maybe in a large crowd...I'm still not very comfortable in a room full of people I don't know.
Nia has definitely assisted with my rising up from the rigidity and structure of my own making, a survival technique no doubt. Teaching Nia was awkward in the beginning, as I imagine it is for 90% of those who step in to teaching Nia for the first time. Now, whether I know the routine as I should or not, the confidence that Nia has bestowed upon me allows me to move with guts and grace!
I've never thought of using "awkward" as a focus for my class, but you've got my creative juices flowing!!!
Thanks, Catherine!!
Jill
Beautifully expressed, Catherine! And I love your idea of making awkwardness a goal, an actual focus (in a Nia dance class especially)! We all ache to be silly and the goofy, but at a certain point in our adulthood start reeling it in. Women especially. Look at the movies out where men are tripping all over themselves and women are just looking patiently on and shaking their heads. Now compare that to "Thelma and Louise." Of course those two did pay the ultimate price in the end. But maybe this is the generation (ours, right now) where we change the message: Silly can be sexy. And even if it's not sexy, a hell of a lot of fun! Hugs and thanks for initiating this conversation! (As awkward as it may make us feel... :-)
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