Dive head-on

We often lament that things change. But the truth is, they’re supposed to.  It’s how we improve, evolve, and grow.

Just think of the constant updates for all those apps that keep popping up every so often on your devices. It’s how they improve bugs and get the system working better.

We need the same for our lives too.

We need to be creating and choosing change for ourselves. To delve into challenges head-on so that we test ourselves and expand our limits.

Growth is always outside our comfort zone. It occurs when we dive into the unfamiliar, into unchartered waters, unprecedented situations, and the like. We will only find a different path if we tread into the unknown. And just maybe it will be the best decision we’ve ever made.

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The people around us

One of the best advice to pass on to others is to surround yourself with people who empower you to become better. Be picky about who you keep around you, because personalities, words and traits do rub off naturally. The people around you reflect who you want to be and how you want to feel. Their energies are contagious.

Surround yourself with smart people who will argue with you. Not those who will tell you exactly what you want to hear. Surround yourself with the dreamers and the doers, the believers and thinkers, but most of all, surround yourself with those who see greatness within you even at times when you don’t see it yourself.

We need people around us who will lift us up, no matter what.

We want people in our lives who will help us grow, who will develop with us, with whom we will share experiences and be comrades in life.

Not people who are still too stuck on their guardians they are too afraid to build a life for themselves, those who are not capable of evolving because it means stepping out of their comfort zone, those who don’t even consider taking any life-changing decision.

We need people around us who don’t ask “what if I fall?”, but rather “what if I fly?”

Provincial lights

©Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

Two years had already passed since she decided to leave the city for a provincial town.

She still remembered how much time and anguish she had experienced; her mind a whirlwind of thoughts pecking her brain with all the things that could go right or wrong.

It was hard to change your entire life. To exit the safety of your comfort zone, of everything you are used to and feel comfortable with. But if you don’t, if you never take the leap, you’ll never know where life can take you.

She never regretted having found the courage to alter everything.

Also part of Friday Fictioneers

The chicken, the monkey and the duck

Once upon a time there was a chicken. It was fluffy and yellow when it was born and everyone admired at how cute and cuddly it looked. It was the joy of the barn. Yet, the chick knew that once it grew up it would be treated just like every other chicken in the coop, and would eventually be sacrificed to feed others larger than itself.

The chick wanted to change that. It could see no reason why it could not be the pioneer in a different life for chickens. And it was determined to prove to all the other animals that laughed at it that it was possible. All it took was resolution and courage. So the chick packed a few seeds in a little bundle and set off. It was going to change its destiny.

The chick was of course unsure of what it would encounter outside the farm, but it was stubborn enough to keep going. No matter what life threw in its path, it would deal with it.

The chick entered a forest path and was enthralled by all the big trees around it with noises from all sorts of animals. Birds were singing in the trees, creepy-crawlies were sliding across the grass, woodpeckers were pecking on the tree barks, deer were grazing peacefully in the shades of the leaves. The chick stopped in its tracks, amazed at the wonders of nature. Never had it imagined how beautiful life outside the barn could be. All of a sudden, an acorn fell on its head. But this chicken didn’t fear the sky was falling and start to run like crazy. No. This chick simply looked up and saw a playful little cheeky monkey grinning at it.

Long story short, the chick and the monkey became friends. They were both young and full of energy so they decided to discover life together. And just like the chick wanted to see what was beyond the boundaries of the barn, the monkey wanted to see what was beyond the forest. The chick packed a fresh batch of seeds and the monkey a few bananas. And off they set together.

The two reached a large blue lake. It seemed so calm as if it was a transparent crystal sheet covering the land. And on it there were ducks and swans skimming across the water. There was in particular a young duckling. It was not ugly at all. And it was a duckling that would grow into a duck not a swan. Curious to see what these two were staring at, the duckling swam close to the shore, and with a hop jumped on to land. The chick and monkey were startled with this fluffy animal that was splattering water all over them.

Soon enough, the two became three, as the duckling too wanted to experience life beyond the lake.

And so the animals continued, discovering new places and new friends, growing up together and enjoying life in the fullest. Because there will always be someone who wants to live beyond the confines of their own world, and no matter how wonderful you see their world, someone else will always want to see more.

So moral of the story is: don’t be afraid to exit your comfort zone, you’d be surprised at how much more there is out there that you never even imagined!