Leaping Lizards & Your Comfort Zone

Ever notice that nothing much happens in your comfort zone?

Makes me wonder why we try so hard to stay in it when the magic is all out there in the uncertainty we call discomfort.

An Example, An Admission and A Lizard

About a month ago I was invited to be a guest on Radio Enso, a radio show whose purpose is to inspire conscious living. I was delighted to be contacted and said yes to host Greg Berg’s invitation.

Immediately after the excitement of the yes came a shiver of fear. Not surprising as fear and excitement are so often companions. Leo Babauta calls this Joyfear, “a mixture of intense joy and intense fear in one ball of powerful emotions.”

Oh yeah, could I relate!

Fast forward to the day of the call and my old pal Lizzie (my lizard brain) reared her head and began a very loud onslaught on my confidence. Even though I’ve done a fair amount of public speaking, including presenting and teaching programs, the level of anxiety I felt an hour before the call was intense. You could say that Joyfear had been replaced by panic.

It affected me mentally (what the hell am I going to talk about?), emotionally (why did I say yes?) and physically (I’m really not feeling well; maybe I should cancel!)

It had been a long time since I’d felt such a strong reaction from Lizzie and she really got my attention!

So why the confession? 

Because over the years I’ve had hundreds of conversations about overcoming fear and causing breakthroughs in confidence.

I’ve heard things like. . .

“I wish I was as confident as {_____________fill in the blank}”

or  “After all this time, shouldn’t I be over this fear?”

or  “So and so always looks so sure of herself and at ease.”

And what I’ve learned is this. . .

No matter how much personal development work you’ve done, no matter how many self-help books read or coaching received your lizard brain is never going away and it’s never going to shut up.

Ever.

The Human Package

If you’re human it’s part of the package.

There I was an hour before the call feeling insecurity and anxiety over the impending interview. After 15 years of personal development, 12 years as a coach, and a whole lotta books and programs, shouldn’t I be over this fear by now? Didn’t I kill off my lizard brain in some workshop I took in 1997?

Ahh. . .no.

My point?

No one is immune. Including the people we look at and assess as professional and beyond that kind of internal angst.

The difference is they’ve learned how to manage the lizard brain’s chatter. It takes time and practice, but the good news is it’s not rocket science and with a few straightforward strategies you can do the same.

So I did what I know to do.

I reached out and talked to a couple of people to regain my perspective. I went outside and got some fresh air. And I took a few minutes to sit quietly with my breath before calling into the show.

The result?

A triumph over my lizard brain and a leap out of the comfort zone!

Listen to the interview and let me know what you think.

Huge appreciation to Greg Berg! His skill as an interviewer and passion for conscious living made the experience memorable.

Share your thoughts in the comments below.