August 21, 2025 • 21 mins
Ever wonder why the most exhilarating moments of your life happened outside your comfort zone? That's no coincidence.
Your comfort zone is like that friend who only wants to hang out in sweatpants watching reruns – cozy, yes, but hardly where life's magic unfolds. We're diving deep into the neuroscience behind why our brains crave predictability (hello, amygdala) and how that evolutionary advantage can become a modern-day limitation when we let it shrink our world without even realizing it.
But this isn't about trashing comfort zones entirely. These safe spaces serve crucial purposes – they're where we heal after losses, recover from burnout, and stabilize our mental health. The key is recognizing when your comfort zone has transformed from a necessary rest stop into a permanent residence that's keeping you from growing.
What are the signs you're overdue for a stretch? That restlessness you feel when everything's "fine" but nothing's great. The jealousy when watching others do what you secretly wish to do. That electric combination of fear and excitement when considering something new. These are all invitations to expand your boundaries and discover what you're truly capable of.
The real currency of growth is discomfort – those moments where your heart races a little but something deeper whispers "what if this actually works?" Every time you lean into that productive discomfort, you're literally rewiring your brain for greater resilience, creativity, and confidence. Your challenge this week? Choose one small thing that nudges you beyond your bubble and take action within 72 hours. The version of you that's waiting on the other side is stronger, louder, bolder – and already cheering you on.
Ready to put on your big girl pants and see what magic awaits? Subscribe to Pocketful of Mojo and join me next week when we tackle how to keep the promises you make to yourself!
Need help tapping into your Mojo? See ya later brain fog- these gummies are game changers! 15% OFF!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
you ever notice how your comfort zone is?
Like that friend who's alwaysdown to hang, but only at your
place and only in sweatpants,with the same takeout, watching
the same show for probably thethird time this week.
Cozy, yeah, exciting?
Not even a little bit.
And yet if you look wherelife's magic happens, it's
(00:33):
usually after we've left thecouch, put on real pants and
tried something.
That made us well nervous.
And today we're talking aboutyour comfort zone.
Is it your loyal BFF or anoverprotective bodyguard?
Or maybe it's the sneakyroommate who's eating all your
yogurt and low-key holding youback?
Well, on today's episode, we'regoing to unpack all this and
(00:57):
take a peek at all the magicthat's just outside your comfort
zone, and we're going tointerrogate whether or not it's
worth a trip.
So let's put on our big girlpants, start from where we are
and get tuned in, tapped in andturned on.
(01:23):
Welcome to Pocketful of Mojo.
You spicy little cupcake, I'mso glad you're here.
I'm Steph, your Mojo Maven, andI'm totally obsessed with
helping recovering peoplepleasers find their mojo and
remember how amazing they wereborn to be, and get practical
about it, because I'm fromCanada, eh.
(01:44):
So let's get into it.
We're here, we're comfy, getused to it, right.
Well, it's your call, my friend.
But if you came here lookingfor a mojo, I'm gonna be honest
with you.
I'm not gonna tell you.
It's gonna ring the doorbelland come find you on the couch
and join you in your jammies orathleisure wear and pass the
(02:04):
popcorn.
That's very off-brand for mojo,but I mean sure, a good life
sure does have some jammy timeand rest and recharge, like
these are all importantingredients in preserving your
balance.
But that's not what we're hereto promote today.
We're here to empower you withwhat you need to know and what
(02:24):
you need to remember once youdiscover what you want and what
you're made of.
And there's a truth and itholds the key to all of that,
and it's this.
Growth doesn't show upuninvited.
You've got to go out and claimit.
Comfort zones are important andeveryone needs a quiet,
(02:45):
comfortable, safe place to landBecause, like, a good, healthy
life is not all about rocketships and grind and hustle Like
ebb and flow people.
Balance is key, remember.
But all those components workbest when it's a zone, not a
whole territory.
Comfort zones are a place tovisit, like a rest stop.
(03:07):
They're a place to catch yourbreath and recharge and heal and
refocus and reset.
But it's a base camp, not ahead office.
So your comfort zone is notyour home, it's a waiting room.
You can't forget that you haveto leave at some point.
So today we're going to lookdeep into the looking glass and
(03:28):
ask the question what magic iswaiting for me on the other side
of my comfort zone?
So we'll start by asking thequestion what is a comfort zone
and how much does it cost?
Because you see, your comfortzone is basically your brain's
favorite security blanket.
It's the set of routines,habits, locations, situations
(03:50):
that feel familiar andpredictable and safe.
And from a neuroscienceperspective, here comes the
nerdy but fun part.
Your comfort zone is tied toyour brain's primary job, which
is to keep you alive, avoid allthe stupid risk and conserve
your energy.
So our friend, the amygdala,the little almond-shaped fear
(04:14):
center that lives in your brain,it's scanning for threats 24-7,
and it loves a little moment ofrest, so it loves
predictability.
So it directs you to yourcomfort zone because comfort
zone is low stress, comfort zoneis less cortisol.
And let's not get it twistedthat comfort zone it's not the
(04:34):
enemy, it's a survival mechanism.
It's why we're all still here,but survival mode and thriving
mode are not the same thing.
That's an important hair tosplit.
So let's take a beat and have alook at what it looks like when
the comfort zone does serve us,because remember, I'm not here
(04:54):
to talk shit about comfort zoneswe need it sometimes, like
resting after a big push, oryou're recovering from a loss or
a burnout.
Or maybe it's just time that youtake a beat, stabilize your
mental health, because there'sbeen some chaos.
Like I'm certainly trying torecover after a big push.
I just finished organizing ahuge reunion in our nation's
(05:18):
capital and people came from allover the country.
I've been working on it sinceOctober 2023, which is a lot of
meanings and a lot of time.
So I'm taking a couple of daysto line up the dominoes for the
next chapter, the next season,what life will look like after
(05:39):
the reunion.
But then I'm just going to be apotato for a bit.
I'm not going to take onanything new.
I'm not going to go out seekingsome challenges for like three
days.
Or maybe you're recovering froma loss or burnout.
So there was that one summerwhere my mom died and my
marriage ended.
Yeah, I literally went back tosquare one.
(06:00):
I moved right back to the houseI grew up in.
I needed that safe space.
I needed to remove any and allother threats so that all of my
energy, which can only be spentin one place at a time, all of
my energy needed to go tohealing.
I needed to stop the bleeding,so to speak.
(06:20):
And I mean, if we're not payingattention, we can navigate
chaos and get so good atmanaging it and so good at being
tough that we forget tostabilize our mental health.
We just kind of put a shellover it.
Like I mentioned, I justreturned from a reunion and what
(06:40):
the association is is we'resecond and third generation
members of an association and Ican tell you that from the
people that were there, theywere sharing their experience as
children of war veterans andthe whole keep calm and carry on
mantra of the world wars.
Oh, that continued long afterthe war was over and so many
(07:04):
veterans not only neverprocessed their trauma, but they
went the fake it till you makeit route.
And while I can't speak frompersonal experience with this,
because my grandfather died inthe battle, I heard so many
stories of intergenerationaltrauma that was born from not
taking the time to talk about itwithout taking the time to heal
(07:28):
.
Your comfort zone is like thebase camp on a mountain climb
you need a safe space to catchyour breath before you make the
next move.
And whether you listen to yourbody when it's a whisper or you
wait until it's a scream, yourbody is going to tell you if you
aren't mindfully able to planthis comfort zone time yourself
(07:50):
yet, so if you can't get aheadof it, just tuning in and being
aware that's all you need.
But the problem is that most ofus build a cute little cabin at
base camp and then we decidedthat we live here now, we get
cozy, we stop climbing becausewe're tired and we stop learning
(08:10):
, we stop asking questions, westop expanding, we stop
stretching, asking questions, westop expanding, we stop
stretching and then eventuallywe wonder why we feel restless
or bored or off or uninspired.
And if we really listen,there's a little voice in there
saying I want more.
And that's the moment wherethis comfort zone, this thing
(08:33):
that served us so well, whichhelped us heal, which created a
space for us to reflect andevolve gradually, then suddenly
leaves us feeling unsatisfied.
Now to avoid the traps and thequicksand that come with staying
too long in our comfort zone.
Let's be sure to watch out forwhat it looks like when our
(08:55):
comfort zone holds us back,because we're all guilty from
time to time of getting in ourown way, and this is the one
that comes up the most often.
And the comfort zone becomes aproblem when it starts shrinking
our life without us evenrealizing it, because it's
subtle.
Maybe you stop speaking up inmeetings because it's just
(09:16):
easier to stay quiet, or youavoid dating because rejection
sucks and it's uncomfortable andit makes you have to work
really hard on your self-esteemSpeaking for a friend, or you
keep doing the same workout,eating the same meals, seeing
the same people.
It's Thursday, it's a night forbroccoli and rice, until the
(09:39):
idea of any change feelsterrifying and exhausting.
Life outside of this groundhogday that you've built seems
unimaginable, scary andeventually it's going to feel
really isolating.
And the sneaky thing is ourbrain rewards us for this
avoidance.
(10:00):
Oh, you didn't try that newthing?
Great, no risk, no stress.
Here's a little dopamine hitfor playing it safe.
But you can only trade growthfor comfort for so long before
something inside you just isgoing to start whispering.
This isn't it?
There's more for me, but we'rehere to get practical.
(10:22):
So what do you do?
What do you do when you realizethat there is more out there
and that maybe you do want it?
So what do you do?
You want to do one of thosecounterintuitive things, which
makes it a little bit tricky.
But I'm telling you what it ishere.
It is Discomfort is thecurrency of growth.
(10:42):
That's the thing you got to do.
You got to chase beinguncomfortable and you're like,
great, that sounds awesome.
Do I get to put rocks in myshoes too?
Well, let's look at what thisactually means.
It means that if you want togrow, you have to open up your
emotional wallet and pay forthat growth, that change, that
(11:04):
glow up with the currency ofdiscomfort Disco dollars.
Discomfort dollars.
There we go.
The exchange rate is the same,no matter what country you live
in.
No tariff rates apply and thereturn on investment is
priceless.
Because think about it everyleap you've taken, every kiss,
(11:24):
every first job, the first timeyou traveled somewhere new, the
last time you tried doingsomething for the first time, it
was scary and exhilarating.
And that's the sweet spot wherefear and excitement meet,
because that amygdala is thereto keep you safe.
Remember, this isn't a recipefor shenanigans Because, again,
(11:46):
your brain is so smart when youstretch just outside your
comfort zone and like, not toofar, this isn't trauma flavored
bungee jumping.
What happens is your brainstarts creating these new neural
pathways, like these ideahighways, and you're literally
rewiring yourself for resilience, creativity, confidence.
(12:08):
Yeah, I know right, you're likeconfidence Really, and I'm like
, yeah, confidence Really, andI'm like, yeah, bonus, and the
best part, each time you stretchyourself, take a swing, try
something new, your comfort zoneexpands.
What used to be terrifyingbecomes normal.
You're leveling up in yoursleep.
(12:30):
You're not even realizing it.
So, like we said, there's atime and a place for a comfort
zone.
But these might be some of theclues that it's time to stretch.
The first one is restlessness.
You're a little bored, you'reirritable or blah, or like
you're just everything's fine.
You know there's nothing reallygreat, there's nothing really
(12:53):
bad, you know.
You just come chucking alongand this is the alarm going off,
letting you know that you'veoutgrown the box.
Now your higher self is askingyou to prove what you're capable
of, which is kind of infinite,but we'll save that for a
different podcast, because youseem to have forgotten, my dear
friend, how amazing and capableyou are of going after what you
(13:17):
want and showing up for yourneeds.
Think about the last time thatyou wanted something and you
went and got it.
Just think about what was thatthing for you.
How did that feel, what wasthat process like?
You probably didn't start as a10 out of 10, but holy fuck, how
good did it feel at the end ofit.
But all that magic happenedoutside of your comfort zone.
(13:42):
The next symptom is jealousy.
Seeing someone else do thething that you want to do kind
of stings a little.
Jealousy doesn't have to beexclusively a bad thing.
Hear me out when you're tunedin and you observe that this
little feeling bubbles up, useit like a signal.
It's a light that's shiningdown on something that your
(14:05):
higher self is wanting for you,and now it's up to you to make
it happen.
The next key indicator issomething that we talked about a
little bit earlier, which isexcited fear, not like I'm being
chased by a bear fear, but likerollercoaster fear, first date
fear.
It's the opportunity thatscares you a little, but in a
(14:26):
what if this actually works kindof way, like if you ever notice
that excitement and nervousnesspresent with the exact same
symptoms.
The only difference is what'sgoing on between your ears.
Seriously, mindset is the onlydifference between nervousness
and excitement.
It's all how you process it.
(14:47):
It's whatever filter you see itthrough.
And then there's the groundhogday.
Do you even need a daytimecalendar anymore, because every
Tuesday looks like the 58Tuesdays before it?
Maybe you keep living the sameweek on repeat, and there's a
fine line between routines andan old-fashioned rut.
And you can put this under themicroscope a little more if you
(15:10):
want and add Pocketful Emojo,season 1, episode 32.
The episode's titled Routines,friends or Foe, and what we do
there is we unpack thedifference between a routine
that keeps you on track and onethat keeps you stuck, so that
one's definitely worth a listen.
So yeah, we got repeating loopsexcited, fear, jealousy and
(15:36):
restlessness.
So take yourself out for icecream.
Have a little think and do anyof those apply to you and what
do you want to do about it?
Because if any of those soundfamiliar, it means that your
comfort zone is overdue for astretch.
But, like I said, it's allbetween the ears.
I'll never forget the time I gotinvited to speak at an event,
(15:58):
but it was in a city I'd neverbeen to before and at first it
was like every part of me wantedto say like no, I'm busy, which
meant really like I'm scaredBecause I didn't know anybody
there and I was convinced thatI'd bomb, and like all my
insecurities just came floodingover me.
There's that amygdala again,and my brain served up every
(16:21):
excuse in the book.
My mama didn't raise a fool andshe certainly didn't leave me a
million dollars.
So I went and here's whathappened.
I nailed my talk because Ididn't have any other noise
around me to distract me.
I could just get reallyprepared and get in the moment.
And then I ended up like beingthis magnet for people who ended
(16:42):
up becoming super great friends.
And then someone in theaudience liked my vibe, or mojo,
if you will, and I got invitedto three more events, and none
of that would have happened ifit stayed on the couch.
So that trip became one ofthose like oh, this is what
(17:02):
happens outside my comfort zonekind of moments.
So there's nothing I can dothat you can't do and you're
probably going to do it better.
So here's your mojo mission forthe week.
I want you to pick one thingthat you've been avoiding like
super secret, nobody knows aboutit.
What's that one thing that'slike nagging you just a bit
(17:23):
because it feels uncomfortable,like maybe it's introducing
yourself to someone new, thatnew person in the office or
whatever, or the class that youkind of have been thinking about
, or pitching your idea at workFuck, it could be that jumpsuit
that's sitting in your closetthat you quote unquote.
Don't think that you can pulloff.
Yeah, fuck that.
(17:45):
Pick the thing.
Pick one of those slightlyuncomfortable things.
Again, kind of makes me thinkabout the veterans.
Like, can I stand a little bitof discomfort?
Yeah, yeah, I can.
I can, we are capable of a bitof discomfort.
It feels weird choosing it, butwhen you're tuned in and you're
(18:05):
mindfully doing it for apositive outcome, that aligns
with something that you want.
It's just that you've neverdone it before.
That's where the electricityhappens.
So I want you to pick somethingthat's small enough to feel
doable but big enough to getyour heart rate going a little
bit.
That's another physiologicalsign to know that you're not in
(18:26):
your head about it.
You're getting a physicalsensation about it and I want
you to do it in the next 72hours, hours and then afterwards
.
I want you to write down thebefore, the during and the after
.
How did you feel?
And then, if you think of, like, fear and confidence as
(18:49):
physical things taking upphysical space in your body, as
you write these things down,you're going to feel that fear
shrink and the confidence expandin real time, as you're
reinforcing and reaffirming whatyou're capable of.
What amazing things are existingoutside of your comfort zone
(19:13):
and again, comfort zone, not theenemy.
It was built to protect you andwe love that.
But the key to remember is thatit's not there to limit you.
Every time you step beyond it,you're not breaking yourself,
you're building yourself.
You're saying to yourself let'sgive this a shot, let's do this
(19:36):
, I can do this.
And the version of you that'swaiting on the other side she's
stronger, she's louder, bolderand already there cheering you
on.
All right, mojarinos, here's thetruth.
Your comfort zone isn't yourenemy, it's your starting line,
(19:58):
it's where you rest, where youreset, but it's not where you're
going to rise.
The real growth, the real joy,the real you that all shows up
the moment you stretch past whatfeels safe.
So this week, I want you tochoose one tiny thing that
nudges you out of your bubble.
(20:19):
It doesn't have to be massive,just a step, a stretch, a spark,
because every small move, thoseadd up and, before you know it,
you're living a life that feelsbigger and bolder and more you.
If today lit something up foryou, please share this episode
(20:39):
with someone who needs thatlittle push too.
And don't forget you've got allthe mojo you need to handle
whatever waits for you outsideof your comfort zone and just
like that, you've got a pocketfull of mojo.
Take it wherever you go and letpeople know you've listened
with a smile.
And make sure you tune in nextweek, where we're going to be
(21:01):
talking all about the promisesthat you make to yourself and
how to keep them.
So until then, go stretch, goshine and go live a little
louder.
Let me hear you.
That's it for me.
Thanks so much again for tuningin.
I love you.
Ciao for now.
you ever notice how your comfort zone is?
Like that friend who's alwaysdown to hang, but only at your
place and only in sweatpants,with the same takeout, watching
the same show for probably thethird time this week.
Cozy, yeah, exciting?
Not even a little bit.
And yet if you look wherelife's magic happens, it's
(00:33):
usually after we've left thecouch, put on real pants and
tried something.
That made us well nervous.
And today we're talking aboutyour comfort zone.
Is it your loyal BFF or anoverprotective bodyguard?
Or maybe it's the sneakyroommate who's eating all your
yogurt and low-key holding youback?
Well, on today's episode, we'regoing to unpack all this and
(00:57):
take a peek at all the magicthat's just outside your comfort
zone, and we're going tointerrogate whether or not it's
worth a trip.
So let's put on our big girlpants, start from where we are
and get tuned in, tapped in andturned on.
(01:23):
Welcome to Pocketful of Mojo.
You spicy little cupcake, I'mso glad you're here.
I'm Steph, your Mojo Maven, andI'm totally obsessed with
helping recovering peoplepleasers find their mojo and
remember how amazing they wereborn to be, and get practical
about it, because I'm fromCanada, eh.
(01:44):
So let's get into it.
We're here, we're comfy, getused to it, right.
Well, it's your call, my friend.
But if you came here lookingfor a mojo, I'm gonna be honest
with you.
I'm not gonna tell you.
It's gonna ring the doorbelland come find you on the couch
and join you in your jammies orathleisure wear and pass the
(02:04):
popcorn.
That's very off-brand for mojo,but I mean sure, a good life
sure does have some jammy timeand rest and recharge, like
these are all importantingredients in preserving your
balance.
But that's not what we're hereto promote today.
We're here to empower you withwhat you need to know and what
(02:24):
you need to remember once youdiscover what you want and what
you're made of.
And there's a truth and itholds the key to all of that,
and it's this.
Growth doesn't show upuninvited.
You've got to go out and claimit.
Comfort zones are important andeveryone needs a quiet,
(02:45):
comfortable, safe place to landBecause, like, a good, healthy
life is not all about rocketships and grind and hustle Like
ebb and flow people.
Balance is key, remember.
But all those components workbest when it's a zone, not a
whole territory.
Comfort zones are a place tovisit, like a rest stop.
(03:07):
They're a place to catch yourbreath and recharge and heal and
refocus and reset.
But it's a base camp, not ahead office.
So your comfort zone is notyour home, it's a waiting room.
You can't forget that you haveto leave at some point.
So today we're going to lookdeep into the looking glass and
(03:28):
ask the question what magic iswaiting for me on the other side
of my comfort zone?
So we'll start by asking thequestion what is a comfort zone
and how much does it cost?
Because you see, your comfortzone is basically your brain's
favorite security blanket.
It's the set of routines,habits, locations, situations
(03:50):
that feel familiar andpredictable and safe.
And from a neuroscienceperspective, here comes the
nerdy but fun part.
Your comfort zone is tied toyour brain's primary job, which
is to keep you alive, avoid allthe stupid risk and conserve
your energy.
So our friend, the amygdala,the little almond-shaped fear
(04:14):
center that lives in your brain,it's scanning for threats 24-7,
and it loves a little moment ofrest, so it loves
predictability.
So it directs you to yourcomfort zone because comfort
zone is low stress, comfort zoneis less cortisol.
And let's not get it twistedthat comfort zone it's not the
(04:34):
enemy, it's a survival mechanism.
It's why we're all still here,but survival mode and thriving
mode are not the same thing.
That's an important hair tosplit.
So let's take a beat and have alook at what it looks like when
the comfort zone does serve us,because remember, I'm not here
(04:54):
to talk shit about comfort zoneswe need it sometimes, like
resting after a big push, oryou're recovering from a loss or
a burnout.
Or maybe it's just time that youtake a beat, stabilize your
mental health, because there'sbeen some chaos.
Like I'm certainly trying torecover after a big push.
I just finished organizing ahuge reunion in our nation's
(05:18):
capital and people came from allover the country.
I've been working on it sinceOctober 2023, which is a lot of
meanings and a lot of time.
So I'm taking a couple of daysto line up the dominoes for the
next chapter, the next season,what life will look like after
(05:39):
the reunion.
But then I'm just going to be apotato for a bit.
I'm not going to take onanything new.
I'm not going to go out seekingsome challenges for like three
days.
Or maybe you're recovering froma loss or burnout.
So there was that one summerwhere my mom died and my
marriage ended.
Yeah, I literally went back tosquare one.
(06:00):
I moved right back to the houseI grew up in.
I needed that safe space.
I needed to remove any and allother threats so that all of my
energy, which can only be spentin one place at a time, all of
my energy needed to go tohealing.
I needed to stop the bleeding,so to speak.
(06:20):
And I mean, if we're not payingattention, we can navigate
chaos and get so good atmanaging it and so good at being
tough that we forget tostabilize our mental health.
We just kind of put a shellover it.
Like I mentioned, I justreturned from a reunion and what
(06:40):
the association is is we'resecond and third generation
members of an association and Ican tell you that from the
people that were there, theywere sharing their experience as
children of war veterans andthe whole keep calm and carry on
mantra of the world wars.
Oh, that continued long afterthe war was over and so many
(07:04):
veterans not only neverprocessed their trauma, but they
went the fake it till you makeit route.
And while I can't speak frompersonal experience with this,
because my grandfather died inthe battle, I heard so many
stories of intergenerationaltrauma that was born from not
taking the time to talk about itwithout taking the time to heal
(07:28):
.
Your comfort zone is like thebase camp on a mountain climb
you need a safe space to catchyour breath before you make the
next move.
And whether you listen to yourbody when it's a whisper or you
wait until it's a scream, yourbody is going to tell you if you
aren't mindfully able to planthis comfort zone time yourself
(07:50):
yet, so if you can't get aheadof it, just tuning in and being
aware that's all you need.
But the problem is that most ofus build a cute little cabin at
base camp and then we decidedthat we live here now, we get
cozy, we stop climbing becausewe're tired and we stop learning
(08:10):
, we stop asking questions, westop expanding, we stop
stretching, asking questions, westop expanding, we stop
stretching and then eventuallywe wonder why we feel restless
or bored or off or uninspired.
And if we really listen,there's a little voice in there
saying I want more.
And that's the moment wherethis comfort zone, this thing
(08:33):
that served us so well, whichhelped us heal, which created a
space for us to reflect andevolve gradually, then suddenly
leaves us feeling unsatisfied.
Now to avoid the traps and thequicksand that come with staying
too long in our comfort zone.
Let's be sure to watch out forwhat it looks like when our
(08:55):
comfort zone holds us back,because we're all guilty from
time to time of getting in ourown way, and this is the one
that comes up the most often.
And the comfort zone becomes aproblem when it starts shrinking
our life without us evenrealizing it, because it's
subtle.
Maybe you stop speaking up inmeetings because it's just
(09:16):
easier to stay quiet, or youavoid dating because rejection
sucks and it's uncomfortable andit makes you have to work
really hard on your self-esteemSpeaking for a friend, or you
keep doing the same workout,eating the same meals, seeing
the same people.
It's Thursday, it's a night forbroccoli and rice, until the
(09:39):
idea of any change feelsterrifying and exhausting.
Life outside of this groundhogday that you've built seems
unimaginable, scary andeventually it's going to feel
really isolating.
And the sneaky thing is ourbrain rewards us for this
avoidance.
(10:00):
Oh, you didn't try that newthing?
Great, no risk, no stress.
Here's a little dopamine hitfor playing it safe.
But you can only trade growthfor comfort for so long before
something inside you just isgoing to start whispering.
This isn't it?
There's more for me, but we'rehere to get practical.
(10:22):
So what do you do?
What do you do when you realizethat there is more out there
and that maybe you do want it?
So what do you do?
You want to do one of thosecounterintuitive things, which
makes it a little bit tricky.
But I'm telling you what it ishere.
It is Discomfort is thecurrency of growth.
(10:42):
That's the thing you got to do.
You got to chase beinguncomfortable and you're like,
great, that sounds awesome.
Do I get to put rocks in myshoes too?
Well, let's look at what thisactually means.
It means that if you want togrow, you have to open up your
emotional wallet and pay forthat growth, that change, that
(11:04):
glow up with the currency ofdiscomfort Disco dollars.
Discomfort dollars.
There we go.
The exchange rate is the same,no matter what country you live
in.
No tariff rates apply and thereturn on investment is
priceless.
Because think about it everyleap you've taken, every kiss,
(11:24):
every first job, the first timeyou traveled somewhere new, the
last time you tried doingsomething for the first time, it
was scary and exhilarating.
And that's the sweet spot wherefear and excitement meet,
because that amygdala is thereto keep you safe.
Remember, this isn't a recipefor shenanigans Because, again,
(11:46):
your brain is so smart when youstretch just outside your
comfort zone and like, not toofar, this isn't trauma flavored
bungee jumping.
What happens is your brainstarts creating these new neural
pathways, like these ideahighways, and you're literally
rewiring yourself for resilience, creativity, confidence.
(12:08):
Yeah, I know right, you're likeconfidence Really, and I'm like
, yeah, confidence Really, andI'm like, yeah, bonus, and the
best part, each time you stretchyourself, take a swing, try
something new, your comfort zoneexpands.
What used to be terrifyingbecomes normal.
You're leveling up in yoursleep.
(12:30):
You're not even realizing it.
So, like we said, there's atime and a place for a comfort
zone.
But these might be some of theclues that it's time to stretch.
The first one is restlessness.
You're a little bored, you'reirritable or blah, or like
you're just everything's fine.
You know there's nothing reallygreat, there's nothing really
(12:53):
bad, you know.
You just come chucking alongand this is the alarm going off,
letting you know that you'veoutgrown the box.
Now your higher self is askingyou to prove what you're capable
of, which is kind of infinite,but we'll save that for a
different podcast, because youseem to have forgotten, my dear
friend, how amazing and capableyou are of going after what you
(13:17):
want and showing up for yourneeds.
Think about the last time thatyou wanted something and you
went and got it.
Just think about what was thatthing for you.
How did that feel, what wasthat process like?
You probably didn't start as a10 out of 10, but holy fuck, how
good did it feel at the end ofit.
But all that magic happenedoutside of your comfort zone.
(13:42):
The next symptom is jealousy.
Seeing someone else do thething that you want to do kind
of stings a little.
Jealousy doesn't have to beexclusively a bad thing.
Hear me out when you're tunedin and you observe that this
little feeling bubbles up, useit like a signal.
It's a light that's shiningdown on something that your
(14:05):
higher self is wanting for you,and now it's up to you to make
it happen.
The next key indicator issomething that we talked about a
little bit earlier, which isexcited fear, not like I'm being
chased by a bear fear, but likerollercoaster fear, first date
fear.
It's the opportunity thatscares you a little, but in a
(14:26):
what if this actually works kindof way, like if you ever notice
that excitement and nervousnesspresent with the exact same
symptoms.
The only difference is what'sgoing on between your ears.
Seriously, mindset is the onlydifference between nervousness
and excitement.
It's all how you process it.
(14:47):
It's whatever filter you see itthrough.
And then there's the groundhogday.
Do you even need a daytimecalendar anymore, because every
Tuesday looks like the 58Tuesdays before it?
Maybe you keep living the sameweek on repeat, and there's a
fine line between routines andan old-fashioned rut.
And you can put this under themicroscope a little more if you
(15:10):
want and add Pocketful Emojo,season 1, episode 32.
The episode's titled Routines,friends or Foe, and what we do
there is we unpack thedifference between a routine
that keeps you on track and onethat keeps you stuck, so that
one's definitely worth a listen.
So yeah, we got repeating loopsexcited, fear, jealousy and
(15:36):
restlessness.
So take yourself out for icecream.
Have a little think and do anyof those apply to you and what
do you want to do about it?
Because if any of those soundfamiliar, it means that your
comfort zone is overdue for astretch.
But, like I said, it's allbetween the ears.
I'll never forget the time I gotinvited to speak at an event,
(15:58):
but it was in a city I'd neverbeen to before and at first it
was like every part of me wantedto say like no, I'm busy, which
meant really like I'm scaredBecause I didn't know anybody
there and I was convinced thatI'd bomb, and like all my
insecurities just came floodingover me.
There's that amygdala again,and my brain served up every
(16:21):
excuse in the book.
My mama didn't raise a fool andshe certainly didn't leave me a
million dollars.
So I went and here's whathappened.
I nailed my talk because Ididn't have any other noise
around me to distract me.
I could just get reallyprepared and get in the moment.
And then I ended up like beingthis magnet for people who ended
(16:42):
up becoming super great friends.
And then someone in theaudience liked my vibe, or mojo,
if you will, and I got invitedto three more events, and none
of that would have happened ifit stayed on the couch.
So that trip became one ofthose like oh, this is what
(17:02):
happens outside my comfort zonekind of moments.
So there's nothing I can dothat you can't do and you're
probably going to do it better.
So here's your mojo mission forthe week.
I want you to pick one thingthat you've been avoiding like
super secret, nobody knows aboutit.
What's that one thing that'slike nagging you just a bit
(17:23):
because it feels uncomfortable,like maybe it's introducing
yourself to someone new, thatnew person in the office or
whatever, or the class that youkind of have been thinking about
, or pitching your idea at workFuck, it could be that jumpsuit
that's sitting in your closetthat you quote unquote.
Don't think that you can pulloff.
Yeah, fuck that.
(17:45):
Pick the thing.
Pick one of those slightlyuncomfortable things.
Again, kind of makes me thinkabout the veterans.
Like, can I stand a little bitof discomfort?
Yeah, yeah, I can.
I can, we are capable of a bitof discomfort.
It feels weird choosing it, butwhen you're tuned in and you're
(18:05):
mindfully doing it for apositive outcome, that aligns
with something that you want.
It's just that you've neverdone it before.
That's where the electricityhappens.
So I want you to pick somethingthat's small enough to feel
doable but big enough to getyour heart rate going a little
bit.
That's another physiologicalsign to know that you're not in
(18:26):
your head about it.
You're getting a physicalsensation about it and I want
you to do it in the next 72hours, hours and then afterwards
.
I want you to write down thebefore, the during and the after
.
How did you feel?
And then, if you think of, like, fear and confidence as
(18:49):
physical things taking upphysical space in your body, as
you write these things down,you're going to feel that fear
shrink and the confidence expandin real time, as you're
reinforcing and reaffirming whatyou're capable of.
What amazing things are existingoutside of your comfort zone
(19:13):
and again, comfort zone, not theenemy.
It was built to protect you andwe love that.
But the key to remember is thatit's not there to limit you.
Every time you step beyond it,you're not breaking yourself,
you're building yourself.
You're saying to yourself let'sgive this a shot, let's do this
(19:36):
, I can do this.
And the version of you that'swaiting on the other side she's
stronger, she's louder, bolderand already there cheering you
on.
All right, mojarinos, here's thetruth.
Your comfort zone isn't yourenemy, it's your starting line,
(19:58):
it's where you rest, where youreset, but it's not where you're
going to rise.
The real growth, the real joy,the real you that all shows up
the moment you stretch past whatfeels safe.
So this week, I want you tochoose one tiny thing that
nudges you out of your bubble.
(20:19):
It doesn't have to be massive,just a step, a stretch, a spark,
because every small move, thoseadd up and, before you know it,
you're living a life that feelsbigger and bolder and more you.
If today lit something up foryou, please share this episode
(20:39):
with someone who needs thatlittle push too.
And don't forget you've got allthe mojo you need to handle
whatever waits for you outsideof your comfort zone and just
like that, you've got a pocketfull of mojo.
Take it wherever you go and letpeople know you've listened
with a smile.
And make sure you tune in nextweek, where we're going to be
(21:01):
talking all about the promisesthat you make to yourself and
how to keep them.
So until then, go stretch, goshine and go live a little
louder.
Let me hear you.
That's it for me.
Thanks so much again for tuningin.
I love you.
Ciao for now.
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