“How Being Safe Limits Your Spiritual and Physical Success?”

How do you become a spiritual success, while also having outer success?

Years ago I use to work 9-5 in a dead end job with a salary cap of no more than $50,000 per year. Coming straight out of College my idea of success was to get a safe and secure job, start a family and buy a house.

Sounds like the definition of the “American dream”, right?

Well, I did just what I set out to focus on. I received a safe job and earned a safe income to just get me by. I started to date different women in hopes to settle down and start a family. And, I began saving money to move out of my rental and buy a house.

Life was good.

My focus was matching the reality I was intending. One day as I was all snuggly on my couch, drinking coffee, it dawned upon me how boring my life was. I was in this comfortable place, just getting by and making the people I loved happy because I was following their advice and in their footsteps.

Soon enough, things began to deteriorate. My income started to drop. I wasn't finding the right woman at the local bars. I started getting into more debt. My house savings were becoming depleted. And, I was unhappy.

What's going on?...

What happened is that I unconsciously decided to stop growing in an ever-growing universe. I was comfortable with the results I attained, therefore unconsciously putting my responsibilities on the back burner.

I made the unconscious decision that “these are the results I want, once I get there, I'm done.” The problem with that way of thinking is that reality does not conduct in that manner.

The function of reality is always flowing; never stopping. In fact, there are only two realities within the big picture of this physical world: Growth and death. The universe is either growing or dying. Since you are part of this universe, that means you are either growing or dying. Let me prove this point to you.

Take a look at the universe as a whole. Look outside your window and find the nearest tree or plant. That plant or tree intrinsically has only two decisions to make: grow or die.

The flowers bloom in the spring and die in the winter (or sooner). Look at the human race as a whole. Our own bodies start young and then eventually become withered and old. Same goes with the progression of society. We've come a long ways in technology since the biblical times or the crusades.

Why should you care that everything is either growing or dying? We all die anyways, right?

Well, you should care if you want to have conscious growth and live to your full potential. If you want to make some kind of contributive impact in this world, you need to be growing-- continuously. Even if you want to continually grow your income, relationships, health, emotional capacity and thresholds, you need to focus on growth.

If I would of kept my comfort zone about how this world works and being safe in that job, eventually things would of gotten so bad I would of either stayed stuck and lived in poverty or the pain would of moved me in the direction of growth and towards what I want.

Think about this for a second.

Keeping the same job and the same salary would of been a losing situation. Eventually the cost of living would exceed the cost of my needs and wants.

This is one of the reasons why I'm almost always against working for a corporation long term.

Most of the time, at some point, the corporation will stop raising your pay. Then what? Your income doesn't meet your needs anymore. But, that doesn't matter because your safe? Hmmm...keep reading.

So, how do you use this principal of growth to your advantage? The answer is comfort zones.

You are currently programmed with a certain comfort zone that's based off of being safe in this world. Human beings have a high need to feel consistently safe. In fact, it's our number one criteria for why we do the things we do. However, most of us unconsciously do things to match our idea of being safe.

For example, most people are employed because they think the bi-weekly pay with medical benefits are safe. Having a significant other is safe because you're not alone. Not doing dangerous things and exploring your potential keeps you safe from failure. Not touching the burning campfire will keep you safe from harm.

Again, the number 1 criteria we use for almost everything is safety.

Now, making decisions based upon whether or not “it's safe” is necessarily not a bad thing. Putting your hand in a fire is not a good way to expand your comfort zone. Safety has its value and if you use common sense, you'll see the value.

However, most of us get comfortable with a certain way of living because that's all we know. Therefore, since that's all we know it must be safe. And, since it's safe we do everything to keep us feeling safe and secure.

Safety is how we stay stuck. Having a focus in life for being safe can be your death because safety is an illusion.

For example, lets say that you have a job that pays $50,000 per year with full medical benefits. You feel safe and secure because it meets all of your needs and if you ever need a doctors attention, you're safe. You keep this way of life for 5 years.

Then, all of sudden, your income isn't enough for the things you want and need. The cost of food, oil and rent has risen. You need more money. Universal health care is in effect, so your medical benefits are gone.

As a result, you do things to earn more money and to have a better life for yourself. While you do these things to raise your income, you feel very uncomfortable and nervous. You may think, “Is this the right business decision? Will I lose money investing in this business?”

However, despite your discomfort, you move forward in faith because you have a mental picture of how you want to live. Soon enough, things begin to fall in place and you're now earning $75,000 per year. All of your needs and wants are met. You have a great doctor that you can afford. Now, everything is safe and comfortable again.

I can go on and on with this example. But, can you see how safety is illusion? In order to grow, you need to break from your current comfort zone and become uncomfortable. Then, that current period of discomfort will become comfortable and safe to the degree you stick with it. And the cycle goes on and on.

There are two points here:

Being safe is an inner game. Nothing in the outside world can make you safe.

Learning how to put yourself in strategic uncomfortable situations is the key to growth.

Here's what not to do:

You have an uncomfortable feeling going into the unknown and you retreat because it didn't feel right. People who retreat to quickly because it's uncomfortable lose and do not grow in life.

Here's what to do:

There are two strategies you can follow so you continually grow with excitement, prosperity, abundance and living to your full spiritual and physical potential.

Strategy number 1:

Continually learn about how reality functions and continually learn about your areas of interest.

People become spiritual enlightened by contemplating the meaning of reality through meditation.

You don't have to meditate the traditional Zen sitting style that most people think. Anything that expands your consciousness from the current mundane is considered meditation. A profound state of gratitude is meditation.

People are labeled “experts” in their field because they are willing to have a life long pursuit of learning and understanding.

As Eric Hoffer once said, “The learners will inherit the earth, while the learnt become beautifully equip with a world that no longer exists.” Find your interest and take on a passionate pursuit of learning and understanding about your interest. You'll never know enough.

Strategy number 2:

Think of ways on how you can expand your comfort zone.

First, determine the results you're getting in each of the key areas of life: Financial, health, emotional, relational and spiritual. Take each key area and answer this question, “What keeps happening in this area?” Next, think of one thing that you want to have in this area of life.

Let's say you want a better relationship with your higher power or God. So, that's what you want in the spiritual area of life. Finally, take the idea of what you want and continually ask yourself, “How can I get X?” “How can I get a better relationship with my higher power?”

As a result of this process, your mind will pay attention to all the ways that will help you attain X. Resources and opportunities will appear to you. You'll be attracted to certain people and situations that will help you achieve X. All you have to do is focus on what you want and be willing to step outside your comfort zone and take action to get “X”.

It's that simple. So, here's a quick recap of the important parts for this article.

Your main criteria for functioning in life is safety. You do or do not do things based upon whether you think it's safe or not.

Now that you're conscious of “safety”, you can see where you're limiting yourself and where safety is useful.

To continually grow you must expand your comfort zones. You must continually put yourself in situations that make you uncomfortable because that's a signal that you're growing or about to grow to a new awareness.

You heard the term of making a quantum leap, right? Well, to make quantum leaps in life you have to make discomfort your friend. Today, think of ways that you can stretch your comfort zone, so you can get what you want.

Do something out of the mundane. Join a public speaking club. Run a marathon. Decide to earn millions of dollars. Meditate every day. Anything! The more you go outside your comfort zone, the bigger your results will become.

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