The Courage Zone

“When I first left my parents’ small farm at eighteen to move to “the city” for college, I was part terrified, part excited, and completely outside my comfort zone. As I found then, and have countless times in the years since, no worthwhile aspiration can be accomplished from within our comfort zone.  Only in giving up the security of the known can we create new opportunity, build capability, and grow influence.  As we do, we expand the perimeter of our ‘Courage Zone’ and our confidence to take on bigger challenges in the future.” (Warrell, 2013). The courage zone-what a concept! Stepping outside of our comfort zone which can be extremely stressful and jumping into the courage zone. “the common thread of wisdom they all shared was that in today’s competitive and fast changing workplace, we can never hope to achieve success unless we’re willing to embrace change and risk the discomfort of failure. In short, we must be willing to get comfortable with the discomfort involved with taking risks.” (Warrell, 2013) This does not just apply to the work place or in ones career this is something we need to master in life as well. If we want to achieve our personal goals we must step out of our comfort zone and jump into our courage zone. I think it is easier to discuss in the respect of one’s career but the reality of it is if we want the happy healthy life we all strive for this needs to be looked at from a personal angle, as a Mom, that is not even true, as a human, my most important job has been to raise my son. I have done great things in the work force helping other people meet goals and strive for success however MY TRUE ultimate success in life is my child. What kind of child was he? What kind of man is he? This is a great way to weigh life’s true success. My life can really be very bountiful for a girl trapped inside of a fish bowl a good chunk of the time. I have this amazing child, I have a wonderful family and amazing friends. As spring falls upon us I am hearing a lot of buzz about people anxiously awaiting summer in my back yard. Nothing fancy, my little solace but this too is a true measure of success, the people in my life WANTING to be here, wanting to spend time, looking forward to it. Obviously I need continue working on the whole fish bowl issue-as I do. As I continue to step out into my courage zone, maybe my courage zone will keep growing and turn into my comfort zone. We can only hope! Is this something you might need to work on too? Dipping your toe in the courage zone?

I also want to give a quick shout out to my Dear friend Eileen Troemel. Published in magazines the list as long as my arm but now-FINALLY-she has two books available at Amazon.

Moon Affirmations which is simply amazing and FINALLY-all I can say is FINALLY. I have watched this come to life. I have watched her birth this creation and it was a long time in the making. https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/432900

http://www.amazon.com/Moon-Affirmations-Daily-Meditations-Energy-ebook/dp/B00K08TF3K/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1398860759&sr=1-3&keywords=eileen+troemel

 

Secret Past is also available now-a little saucy, a little sexy…. https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/426548

http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Past-np-Eileen-Troemel/dp/1499159862/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1398860689&sr=1-1&keywords=eileen+troemel

Simply amazing typing her name into Amazon and “POOF”-congratulations Eileen! This is what can happen when you step into the courage zone!

Have a Blessed Day~

Love and Light!

Agoraphobia Gurl

 

 

"speak your mind, even if your voice shakes”

- Maggie Kuhn, Social Activist

 

 

 

 

Reference

Warrell, M. (2013).  Why Getting Comfortable With Discomfort Is Crucial To Success.

     Retrieved from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/margiewarrell/2013/04/22/is-comfort-holding-you-back/

 

Good Morning Saturday!

Greetings!


I have been busy and pushing myself to go out more. Thursday my Mom, my Son , and I went to see my Grandparents at the cemetery-we brought them some flowers and wandered about. It really is a beautiful place.
Kind of creepy- my Dad's parents "plot in waiting" and my Godparents "plot in waiting". It is weird seeing the stone with no date (thank God) but just seeing each name waiting for the time to come knowing we mere mortals pass. At least Aunt Liz has an outlet by her plot-this is important-her hair is very important to her : )
Really not making light-I am 45, people pass, many of my friends parents have already passed. Judy and Hope-I can't fathom what it is like for your Daughters without you here. Hope and Dawn would be on some exotic Thelma and Louise adventure(without the cliff diving ending) and Judy would just still be Mama Judy-which is a good thing.
My Son's Dad died when he was 5. I was not in charge and his Dad's last wishes were to be set free in the Mountains of Colorado. My Son is turning 18 and his Father is still trapped inside a cookie jar inside of his brothers house in Colorado. No matter how many trees I plant, or ornamental figures I purchase my Baby he should have at least some of those ashes ,  so he could have a place to say good bye, a place to visit, a place to bring flowers too. I think had John known the impact and harm it would have caused he would have planned this process in a different manner. I guess all that really matters is his Fathers spirit lives on within him-however John deserved better. I wonder if it is at least a Christmas Cookie jar? Christmas was his favorite.


Back to my Thursday events-we went to the Olive Garden-AT LUNCH TIME-when it was busy! Soup, salad, and bread sticks and some delish asparagus breaded in evil deliciousness. YUM...I have not done that in years. Actually the last time I did it was a few years ago with my parents for my birthday-by a few I mean many. I love the place. John and I used to go pretty often.


Next we had to go to the mall. I am happy to inform you I did not die. I did not even pass out. It was a pretty quick trip to the mall. Mom had to pick up something and Michael wanted to go to Barnes and Nobles-we did the math on that. Not pretty either, I think the last time we went he was about 5. Yep-I won't be winning any parental awards.


After our lovely adventure with Mom Miss Lilly came over for a sleep over without her little brother-just a special Lilly Day. We went to Dairy Queen-she had said she had never been before, and she had a pineapple Sundae. She wanted to go to The Dollar store-pretty easy for a super awesome Lilly night. The weather was not on out side. We would have like to take her riding at Deans but it was yucky and mucky. We went to breakfast-at breakfast time-when it was busy at McDonalds, ran a few errands. Went to the Pet Store and had a Lillytastic Day!


That is a lot of activity for the Agoraphobia Gurl.


Thursday I had to sneak out for my physical therapy appointment-she adjusted me and taped my back and shoulder. I NEED some of this magical tape! I have pretty much slept all night for the last two days, I have  not used my heating pad. The roaring searing pain that usually takes up my lower back is down to a mild annoyance-YAY TAPE. YAY PHYSICAL THERAPY. I just now need to locate a money tree and life would be pretty damn amazing!


Love and Light!
Do something for you today! Hopefully something outside of the house!
Agoraphobia Gurl


On a side note-I am now officially playing phone tag with my student advisor-so still no answers-still in limbo. MAYBE-just maybe if some one would call me back when I am actually here- I know that is a pretty far out idea but if I call and say I will be at physical therapy from 10-11 and that is when you call me back, well this seems a little ineffective to me. Just saying....

Still in limbo...

Good Morning-

Since I am in academic limbo this leaves me with some free time, now if only I had some inspirational words to share. I did make my appointment with Doctor Bob yesterday. Generally I talk about making my appointment and end up doing it two or three months later.

I attempted to locate my Student Advisor-so no luck- I could have probably talked to the Twinkie, but too many hands in the pot spoils the soup, well and I don’t think Twinkie is the brightest little candle.

Physical therapy was good. I received a massage for a good half hour if not longer, you could really feel the difference between the left side of my body and the right side of my body. It felt like a slab of cement was under my skin on the left side. It was very interesting feeling the muscles twerking, for the lack of a better term under her finger tips. It felt amazing when I left! I walked around the hospital for a little bit. I did not go in the gift shop, they have really cute jewelry-it is a bit of a danger zone for me, I looked around the cafeteria, I went to the coffee kiosk and got myself a sugar free caramel latte, I bought a newspaper and came home. Several hours later I was pretty sure that my back was in fact giving birth to a demon spawn so I took some pain meds and laid on the heating pad. I have been assured this is a normal part of the adjustment process.

 Take wrong turns. Talk to strangers. Open unmarked doors. And if you see a group of people in a field, go find out what they are doing. Do things without always knowing how they’ll turn out. -Randall Munroe

This is something all of us living in fear need to strive for. Even if it seems like the smallest of baby steps it is a step forward in a positive direction! Can you think of little steps that might lead you in the right path? If you do what you need, you’re surviving. If you do what you want, you’re living. Some of us are barely in survival mode, locked away in the house afraid to step out and get the mail. Wouldn’t it be nice to just live again and be free! The freedom to not over analyze every time you have to walk out the door-can I- will I?

I have a chance-an opportunity to do something with my friend Dawn- this is something we talked about when we were 15(and damn I could have done  it when I was 15), we wrote music about it. It would require two days in Minnesota. Tons of people and my only safety net would be Dawn-which she is a damn good safety net, but I am pretty crazy. So I struggle and I struggle. I want to but I don’t think I can…and remembering when I could just pisses me off. Once upon a time I could have thrown on something sexy, packed an overnight bag and hit the road. I should be with her- I AM THE BLONDE! I am the attitude, I am the sexy, I got her back. I am the blonde-not that other mousy chick.

“There's 2 things we can't stand
One's a jive talk man
The other's a jive talk man with no money
Can U dig it?”

-Vanity 6

Can you believe it is the 35^th anniversary of Purple Rain? I saw that opening day at Capitol Court. Back when my  heart and soul was free-before I was broken. When I still had a touch of a stupid streak!

 

“Honey I know, I know, I know times are changing
It's time we all reach out 4 something new
That means u 2
U say u want a leader
But u can't seem 2 make up your mind
I think u better close it
And let me guide u 2 the purple rain

Purple rain Purple rain
Purple rain Purple rain”

-Prince

Here is to finding your inner stupid streak! Here is to dancing in the rain(purple or other)! Here is to wild random road trips. Here is to finding your way back to you…don’t stop trying!

Love and Light!                                             

Agoraphobia Gurl

He has risen-and I just didn't make it!

He Has Risen

Greetings~ 

Easter is my favorite service-and I just didn’t make it. I know shocking. I love the flowers, I love the message. I love the music. ..I did make to my Moms and we had a lovely brunch.

I managed to locate a pineapple (see last post) . I also have a box of blueberry waffles in the freezer so we are good to go. I might as well poke a little fun at myself-better to laugh my other option is to cry. Chaos still happening with school-I am wrapping up Abnormal Psych and as of tomorrow I have no class scheduled, no financial aid and have not been able to locate MY financial advisor. Some twinkie called me today to touch base, I didn’t get the call-she didn’t understand what the problem was-I didn’t appear to have an attendance issue-DOH! Some people should not be allowed on the phone. My attendance issue begins tomorrow when I am not in class, but I am not starting another class with no Financial Aid-we have been working on this for almost 3 months. I am not really clear what the problem is. I will resolve this tomorrow.

The weather has been really nice however this is not really inspiring me to leave the house. It remains a work in progress. I should make an appointment with Doctor Bob-really I mean it. Spring is here-it is official,

Keep on trying!

Love and Light!

Agoraphobia Gurl

A waffle cabin and a pineapple on the side….

A waffle cabin and a pineapple on the side….

Greetings,

Hope all is well in the cyber realm! I have been thinking about my last post, actually one of my friends pointed out I might not want to wish for that rom/com life aspiring to be Drew Barrymore with her Adam Sandler counterpart. As it was said to me, the first thing that comes to mind is 50 First Dates, so it occurs to me perhaps spending my life wishing for this rom/com…maybe I got it. I mean when I say I want my life to be like an Adam Sandler movie and I guess I should be thankful I was specific and tossed Drew Barrymore’s name into the wish because my life could be  Little Nicky. Let’s look at 50 First Dates-Lucy suffers from extreme short term memory loss after swerving in the road in order to miss a cow she hits a tree. This does sound a bit me-ish. I meet a wonderful guy-that I forget every day. I am just saying…did I get what I asked for? I was thinking more along the lines of The Wedding Singer however I was not specific. So I am here-should I start buying pineapples and building waffle buildings? I could use a hobby that allows me more time in the house-who delivers waffles?

Just my random thought for the day…

Love and Light~

Agoraphobia Gurl

“The trick is to enjoy life. Don’t wish away your days, waiting for better ones ahead.” - Marjorie Pay Hinckley

 

A little girl walking on the edge of the world...

Greetings,

Life just seems to spin more and more out of control. Still loving my abnormal psych class-I become a little crazier the more I read : )

Having a very hard time leaving the house. Went to a birthday party yesterday with Dean and I started contemplating drinking around 10 am (the party was at noon).  This seems the easiest way to control my anxiety and I realize it is a horrible way to control my anxiety. I was physically shaking before we left…it is spring. This is supposed to be getting easier…just don’t know any more.

Financial Aid is still an issue-like the lack of…life- just one little break please. No breaks just more and more drama. I am so sick of drama. I am so sick of being scared of everything and worrying about everything. Feeling myself slipping further and further away…

I have been watching The Game of Thrones-didn’t read the books really didn’t know what I was in for. Not for the faint of heart…honestly not something I would normally watch. Extremely violent and extremely sexual, I kind of find it creepy. However I need some Daenerys Targaryen energy! A little girl walking on the edge of the world…and kicking some ass. I never really had the desire to be the Dragon Queen before(shout out to Eileen-you hold the true title) but I need some of that. I really need to stop comparing my life to fiction. Sybil asking to be Khaleesi! Sybil could use a ride off in the sunset with Khal Drogo...oh hell Sybil could just  use the ride on Khal Drogo…I am trying to find my inner Khaleesi-my inner Daenerys Targaryen. Not a Queen a Khaleesi! I just can’t seem to find her-my fight is gone. (If you actually understood this I might be concerned)

The cast really is eclectic and I have now a rather great fondness for Peter Dinklage and Tyrion Lannister (not a fan of The House of Lannister).

So you have it…Agoraphobia Gurl not doing so well. Contentment  in the fish bowl? When I grow up I want to be Khaleesi…or maybe Drew Barrymore in an Adam Sandler movie. Strong, happy, normal, finding my way back to me again…I don’t think that is asking too much is it?

Love and Light!

Not a Queen a Khaleesi!