As I have shared many times before, I like my routines.  My day-to-day makes me feel secure.  I think many of us are like that in some way or another.  There is a rhythm to routine.  However, it can also become a trap.

I can get stuck in the comfort zone.

When I am flowing through my days without effort, I do not push myself.  When I do not push myself, nothing changes.  I am not saying every day needs to be a full-court press to conquering the world.  However, making even small changes in my routine stimulates me to grow and expand the world around me.

Sometimes it may mean trying a new recipe.  This week, I attended a cooking class.  I went with a friend I met through Jaxon and discovered we are both “foodies”.  We went to a small venue where a woman taught us to cook a couple of traditional Indian vegetable dishes.  We learned about a variety of spices normally used and even made our own garam masala.  The scent of the kitchen when cooking this way is amazing!  One of the dishes definitely pushed me outside of my comfort zone. We made spicy cauliflower and beets.

Beets.  Ew.

My gut said to shout out:  “I do not like beets.”  Then, “I do not like green eggs and ham, I do not like them Sam I Am,” started rolling through my head, and I smiled to myself.  Any other Dr. Seuss fans out there are smiling too!  How many times as a child did I hear my mother say, “just try one bite”?  So, I put on my big-girl pants and waited.  The beets were roasted and then crushed so they turned the cauliflower florets as lovely shade of magenta.  They did not LOOK like beets.  The garam masala was added to the combination and the aroma was amazing.  They did not SMELL like beets.  The dish was served over jasmine rice… and the flavor was absolutely incredible.  No “ew” at all!

I ask myself this question… what else have I been missing?

Getting out of my comfort zone means a shift out of the normal routine.  It could mean taking a break from daily chores to read a chapter in a book, or walk around the yard taking photographs.  It could mean scheduling a reunion with a friend to share time and catch up.  It could mean accepting an invitation to try something I never considered in the past. 

Who knows what I will discover?  I can create opportunities to learn something yet undiscovered about me, or my world.  I WANT to know what I have been missing.

I am certainly going to maintain some sense of order in my day to day.  I like the sense of accomplishment in getting things done.  However, I can still do that and say “yes” when the universe presents an opportunity to try something new.

I will continue to explore and find out what I have been missing.

I will embrace the change and growth lurking outside of my comfort zone.