How to Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
It’s been a while (cue Britney music – ooh ooh ooh)
Gee. The days are going by SO quick. Is it because I get up way too late.. or is it because I’m happy?Maybe a little of both?! All I know is if I was watching a movie of my own life I’d be at peace in the audience. I’d be saying, wow, she got everything she wanted! (except for a diamond ring, that would be nice… wait, if we are being serious here throw in that black Gucci belt and a YSL bag, ha!) But for real, wow. Stepping back and looking at what I’ve done and how far I’ve come in the last year it’s like.. seeing yourself in a meme and being like “mama, I made it”.
Let’s be real. Life is never perfect and it’s always going to be messy.
Truth is, at this point 1/3 of my income is left to the discretion of my peers, family, random people I meet at a bar (boujee or dive), and my friends… the ones that RANDOMLY commission me to do 3 paintings. Being an artist is ever-so-unsure and ever-so-unstable, despite everything “seeming” relatively stable. I’m here to tell you something CRAZY and you might not like it.
Wherever you’re comfortable, you’re failing.
If you are easy-peasy-comfortable, free-riding, seeing how long that thing lasts, just going with the flow because it’s so “stable” and it “pays your bills” and it’s “what you’ve always known”… etc. etc…. then, you ARE DOING SOMETHING WRONG.
But Chelsea, you’re like a 26 year old blogger who is all over the place and knows nothing about life. I mean, come on, you have no kids, no house to worry about, no blah blah blah blah. I know, I know I chose a different path than you. And I’m telling you with complete confidence. EVERYTHING in my being:
If you are comfortable, you are not where you should be.
If you want to move mountains in this life, you need to position yourself to be uncomfortable.
You’ve heard the great Eleanor Roosevelt’s quote a few times “do one thing every day that scares you.” This doesn’t mean go skydiving, DURRRRR.
She’s talking about something that puts you on the edge of your seat.
Something that challenges you.
Something that bends you in an unimaginable way.
Eleanor is talking about FAITH.
Knowing what tomorrow brings would be boring, scary, annoying actually.
I read this dumb meme that said “every year you’re passing the anniversary date of the day you’ll die”- morbid, I know, but that’s social media for you. WHAT? I don’t care and I don’t want to know. I want to live vigorously and vibrantly, with an expectation to expect the unexpected. I want to take comfort knowing that I CAN handle what life throws at me, not that life won’t throw anything at me!
Gee, Chels, you’re passionate. Why?
I see TOO MANY PEOPLE(and I mean, lots of people I’m close to) stay in their “comfortable jobs” around people they “know and understand” doing things that stay within their “zone” and they’re actually quite miserable. They don’t know why! Well, I can see it from a mile away. They already know where they will be tomorrow, the next day, the next day: HOW BORING!
If you are sitting in a desk day job that just allows you to do stuff on your computer all day (I’ve been there, it’s “great”.. NOT), then you aren’t allowing yourself to really be THROWN in. You have to take risks if you want to grow. You have to step out to grow. You have to GO OUT and MOVE THINGS and people and conversations and the art world and I mean, what would someone say if they wrote a biography on you? Yikes! Make it good.
So, obviously I’m passionate about this subject because I’m literally watching people I know WASTE AWAY because they are comfortable.
So, this isn’t supposed to be a mean post.. but it’s supposed to be brutally honest. GET OUT AND GO. Do that thing you’ve been wanting to do forever.
Eleanor Roosevelt also goes on to say “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.”
WHAT? Fear? Choosing fear? No. Not me?
YES. YOU.
Dare to dream.
Dare to discover.
Dare to be the person who you would be proud of when it’s all over.
I know ONE person who laid it all out on the line and did the MOST AMAZING WORK before he died… that is the kind of thing that inspires me. You’ve got to make yourself proud of YOURSELF!
Okay, maybe this kind of intense thinking is too much for you.
But obviously, I’m intense *duh*
And this is me being REAL.
If you are sitting around letting life boss you around, you will never be happy!
Be your own boss.
Make your own rules.
Try it.
Write that resume.
Strike up a convo with that fella next to you in the bar.
Be bold.
Wow, I’m getting like “motivational speaker” on ya. So sorry.
But anywho, to conclude this. I think you know what you need to do.
Do it.
Just do it.
*thanks Nike*
Hope you have an amazing rest of your week!
Xoxo
Chelsea
PHOTOGRAPHY BY @RACHELCOSSETTE with @RACHELCOSSETTEPHOTO
Shop the Post:
Nordstrom (Early Access still!!!) Sale Marc Fisher Boots: Good American Staple Black Skirt: Chelsea 28 Checkered Blouse (similar ones)
