Avoiding the Comfort Zone

I almost crippled myself this past winter.

Last spring I had my left bicep operated on. I had to immobilize it for six weeks then go through a gradual therapy process. By the end of summer it was starting to feel pretty good but it was still stiff and certain movements hurt like hell. (Such as reaching around and scratching my lower back.) I worked out with light weights and thought I was doing O.K.

But when I was seated in a chair that had arms I would rest my left arm on a small pillow. It seemed to relax my arm and I was more comfortable. I did this throughout the fall and most of the winter. Yet I kept feeling like my arm was getting worse, rather than better. And I began to favor the arm more and more.

Then I realized what was happening. By favoring the arm, using it less because doing certain things hurt, I was weakening it. I was letting the muscles atrophy. And worse yet, by resting it on a pillow while seated, I think the muscle was actually shortening.

Once I realized what I was doing I began working it; doing stretching exercises, lifting weights, using it. Now, after about two months, it feels much better. I have full movement, very little pain and it is strong again.

So what did I learn?

For one thing, the things in life that provide momentary comfort are not always good for you. Resting my arm on the pillow allowed me to be comfortable while watching TV. But the right thing to do would have been to use the arm normally, not to pamper it. I should have lived through the momentary discomfort and just plain used it.

This is true of many other things in life. We tend to protect and pamper ourselves in areas of weakness or pain. It is momentarily more comforting to have the Big Mac and fries than the salad. It is easier to avoid certain people or situations rather than hone our social skills and self confidence. We tend to do just-what-we-have-to with our jobs instead of trying to be the best at whatever it is we do. We put off or avoid the exercise we know we should do in favor of extra sleep in the morning or TV at night.

But worse of all we avoid emotional heartache. We use the pain of the past, or the fear of future failure, as an excuse to cushion our hearts. Our comfort zones become emotional barriers that allow our emotions to atrophy through lack of use. And before long, a wrong word, a misunderstood motive or a social slight becomes a source of great pain. And a reason for further isolation.

The only solution is to realize what we are doing to ourselves and break the cycle of comfort and atrophy. We need to challenge ourselves with life. Enjoy the effort that living life requires rather than always seeking the paths of least resistance. Our intellect, our curiosity, our work ethic, our integrity, and our capacity to love are all muscles that need to be exercised.

Otherwise we slowly cripple ourselves while seeking momentary comfort.