Comfortably Numb

Cheerful Monk has got me thinking. I wasn't able to put my finger on it, but I just haven't been able to embrace the Fresh New Year. A whole year of 2008 possibilities lies ahead and while everyone else seems to be making lists of things to accomplish or habits to break, we're nine days in and I still can't seem to get excited about it.

And then I figured it out.

I miss being uncomfortable.

When faced with the question, "When do you feel the magic, the joy of being alive?" it took me a while before I could answer:

I always feel most alive when I’ve been pushed out of my comfort zone. For example, two years ago I was invited to join a motorcycle trip from Rome to the Sahara desert in Tunisa. For weeks we were cold, hungry and uncomfortable but I loved every single minute of it. I felt alive!



On a less adventurous scale, I was forced to take a public speaking course last year and even though I dreaded the thought of making a fool of myself in front of others, I finished the class feeling on top of the world.

My challenge for this year will be to find new ways to get out of my comfort zone. Because right now, I’m feeling waaaaaaaaaaaay too comfortable.

As I type this I'm sitting in my comfortable chair in my comfortable apartment preparing for my next comfortable, albeit exhausting, day at work. I'm looking at Darren Barefoot's most recent photos with a comfortable mixture of admiration and envy. But before the days of 2008 turn into weeks and the weeks turn into months, I hope to find myself shivering with cold, fear or anticipation. And with any luck, I'll have all new yellow tape to secure next year's comfort zone.