Yesterday, I had the opportunity to listen to a lecture by Catherine Cook-Cottone, PhD a psychologist doing work in the field of mindfulness and trauma.

One thing she mentioned we all have is a ‘growth zone’: that area in between our comfort zone and our panic zone where we are OK living with discomfort.

A place where our ideas about our lives and ourselves can be tested and explored in ways that enable us to, well, grow.

Sounds good, yes?

The trouble is, lots of us find it easier to stay in our comfort zone.

It may not be challenging but it’s, well, comfortable.

As I thought about the many reasons for this, it occurred to me that part of the reason might be that we don’t often think and speak in terms of a “growth zone”.

We’ll say, ”I’m outside my comfort zone” but we don’t name and claim that space as a growth zone.

We don’t embrace our potential for disruption, mess, confusion….mistakes.

But what if you took away the idea of ‘doing it wrong’? Would you then be willing to live in your growth zone? 

What if you accepted Rumi’s invitation:

“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and right doing, there is a field.

I’ll meet you there.”

To me, that field is your growth zone.

I’ll meet you there.