Pablo the penguin hated the cold. That is the title of one of my favorite Disney stories, which has so many amazing life’s lessons carefully and cunningly woven into its core. Friendships, troubles, success, not feeling like you fit in within your community… There is one message that stood out to me the most, as a perfect example of why being inside of your comfort zone is a good thing.
How many times have you heard people saying something like:
You need to step out of your comfort zone! The world is waiting for you out there!
My bet: a lot, at least I have. For the longest time I actually believed those people. In my desire to fit in with the crowd, I started drinking alcohol and staying late at night in dodgy clubs with dodgy people, even though I hated both of it. Or being around people I didn’t even like, because they were much too different from me, but I didn’t care, as long as I had someone around me.
I’m sure you can imagine that such “friendships” have no substance to it, and that sooner or later they fall apart. Then you start feeling bad that you’ve been with someone for so long, when it was clearly fake.
But what do Pablo the penguin and your experience have in common?!
Pablo’s penguin friends were playing outside from sunrise to sundown, while he was stuck inside of his Igloo, hugging Smokey Joe (his giant stove), fully equipped with mittens, scarf, hat and, most importantly, two water bottles under his flippers.
His friends wanted him to get outside of his comfort zone and play with them, but here’s the kicker; Pablo wasn’t inside of his comfort zone in the first place. He was unhappy and constantly cold, and nowhere near any type of comfort whatsoever.
Ok, so what is the comfort zone?
Comfort zone is when you’re successful. When you’re inside of your comfort zone, you are the best creative version of yourself, you are happy, you are enjoying your life, and everything you touch you feel like you can turn into gold.
It takes you over completely, you feel powerful, secure, confident. You like doing it, whatever that is. It’s not scary, it’s not uncomfortable. It’s easy and pleasurable. It’s fun and it’s comforting.
Pablo was sick of being outside of his comfort zone in the cold, and had decided that it was time to feel good. He went on an adventure of finding his safe place, a warm piece of land where he could be completely at ease.
Wait, but isn’t that playing safe and never moving forward?
Not quite. When you’re outside of your comfort zone, you feel threatened, uneasy, unhappy, and that’s not a place where people want to be. We all want happiness, and we’re doing our best to get it.
Soooo….how do you stay inside of your comfort zone and still experience new things?
By expanding your comfort zone. When it comes to your desires and interests, you can do whatever you want. If you have a desire to climb Mt. Everest, by all means, do it, but only because you want it; not because there is someone else out there, who thinks that you should do something to fit in.
Only you matter in the equation. It’s your choice to decide what new experience you’re going to invite into your life, even if it seems intimidating at first. But I’ll let you in on a little secret: if you really want that, then it will very soon become a new addition to your comfort zone, and you will be swarmed with feelings of pleasure and ease and happiness.
Pablo found his perfect place after a few determined steps which nearly made him give up. He persisted, because he knew there is absolute comfort zone waiting for him, and once he found it he was the happiest penguin on Earth! Isn’t that worth pursuing?
