Good morning, and happy Monday! I hope your day is off to a nice start.
While you folks were (hopefully) relaxing, I spent 16 hours on the road Saturday, leaving the warmth of central Florida for the bitter cold of Ohio. I guess I really am as stupid as I look.
Let’s just get this out now – I don’t like winter. In fact, I pretty much despise it. Oh yeah, I remember years ago growing up in south Florida, longing for the silent majesty of a winter’s morn, the clean, cool chill of the holiday air … Yes, I’ve watched that movie a few times too many.
When I joined the Navy, my dad told me something I’ll never forget. “The best two duty stations in the world are the one you just left and the one you’re going to.” Or, in simpler terms, the grass is always greener over the septic tank. Thank you Erma Bombeck for that tidbit of perspective.
Our comfort zone is a double-edged sword. It gets us through the day with a minimum of stress, and it also keeps us from accomplishing much of anything. For every worthwhile achievement, you had to do something that stretched your level of comfort. And, even if the goal ended up being a little less than what you’d envisioned, you still grew as a result.
As most of you know, I was a stand-up comedian for the better part of 16 years. Believe me when I say that first time onstage was WAY outside my comfort zone. It took nine years and almost 1000 shows to get past the jitters. But it was something I wanted badly enough to work through it. And I’m glad I did.
If there’s something you want that isn’t immediately within reach, you’ll have to step outside your comfort zone. Matt Damon’s character said it best in the movie We Bought a Zoo … “all it takes is 20 seconds of insane courage.”
Twenty seconds to embrace a vision. Twenty seconds to consider an opportunity. Twenty seconds to post your resume online. Twenty seconds to get down on one knee and pop the question. Twenty seconds to sign your name to the contract. Twenty seconds to trap a spider. Twenty seconds.
Sure, there’s more to come after that. But that initial twenty seconds of courage is all it takes to get past the fear and start turning the life you want into the life you’re working toward. The more you face those fears, the less courage it takes. There comes a day when it’s second nature. And that’s when dreams begin turning into reality.
That’s all for now. Have an awesome day!
© 2023 Dave Glardon – All rights reserved
Dave Glardon 