OUR VIEW: Challenge fear outside comfort zone

Society runs on a tight schedule. From a young age, we are force fed times and routines. We are taught to become comfortable in a culture with hopes of no uncertainties or mishaps, and when things are thrown off schedule, we are taught to get back on the road of routine as quickly and orderly as possible.

We wake up and get ready for the day in the same way every day. Some people brush their teeth and then eat, some eat breakfast and then brush their teeth, and some brush their teeth and never eat before driving to school and parking in the same spot at the same exact time every day. We live for routine. We thrive in the common and predictable.

Often we nickname our comfort zones routine and tradition. We walk to the edge of ourselves and all we know but dare not venture out of bounds in fear that the “new” will be scary and unbearable. The truth of the matter is: “new” absolutely might be the most terrifying, overwhelming and painful thing we ever experience. BUT, past the terror and frustration, “new” might be interesting and exciting, making our lives more than we could ever dream. However, too many of us refuse to find out what “new” looks and feels like.

Combined, our small routines and fears turn into small superstitions that prevent us from living life in all of its abundance. We use these traditions and superstitions as scapegoats. Everyone is guilty of saying its not an excuse when he or she really is making excuse after excuse to avoid doing something new. It is unfortunate how prone we humans are to fall into routine after getting our feet a little wet and then decide “This is good enough”. We then become comfortable and never leave the “safe” zone that we have created.

Sure, we have unique hobbies and are willing to learn different things, but when asked if we would like to change and shake up our traditional lifestyles, we get a small glimmer of thrill in our eyes and then shudder at the the risk.

We “what if…” our lives away. We grow up to become superstitious old grumps and catch ourselves saying things like, “We can’t change that because we have always done it this way.” How absolutely cynical and pessimistic can we make ourselves?

We, as a society, and as individuals, need to open our eyes to the reality that just because we have never done it that way before does not mean we cannot tweak and discover new ways to do things. We must stop letting the fear of failure and a possibility of being hurt prevent us from making our life an adventure and ridding our limited days of routine, superstitions, and meaningless traditions.

“Tradition is always under construction” is a phrase printed on the back of sports t-shirts, and its a slogan screaming for us to change. Perhaps our traditions, our ruts, our prejudices could do with a change. Stop using “This is the only way I have ever done it,” as a scapegoat to not experience something outside our comfort zone. Our ancestors founded a country on it.