It's been said that my comfort zone is the most dangerous place to live.  What feels safe, cozy and warm is actually my life wasting away into oblivion.  In a few hundred, hell, 50 years from now I won't be a thought in anyone's mind.  So why am I so afraid to live my life?

Forget the why! I am learning to deliberately face my fear until the fear subsides. One way I have done this is by creating two of me in my mind.  The first me is the decision maker. The guy flipping the switch.  "On or off Jason. Just make the decision." I tell myself.  The second me is the action taker.  This is the guy who has to show up to the meeting set up by the switch flipper.  It's a love hate relationship between the two.  Most of the time the action taker is terrified and is dragged along kicking a screaming.  Why is he such a big baby?

Forget the why!  We've learned not to listen to his whining.  You see, a strange thing is happening.  The more we flip the switch and take action, the more confident we become.  The more confident we become, the more we flip the switch and take action.  Brian Tracy calls this "spiraling upward."  I call it living outside of my comfort zone.  

• Plan/Do/Review

My mentor told me that the team atmosphere at his company causes people to live for the work week.  His employees are not trading 5 days of work for 2 days of freedom and they long for the weekends to go by quickly so they can return to the vibrant atmosphere where they are celebrated and appreciated.

I long for that atmosphere and not from the standpoint of the employee but from the standpoint of my relationships.  I want the people in my life to feel appreciated and celebrated.  

• Plan/Do/Review

This morning I met with my mentor and another mentoree at Panera.  The conversation went as it usually does, starting out with questions and answers followed by conversations stemming from the past week's events or from the questions and answers discussion.  
It was at the point the conversation shifted to family and goal setting that my mentor saw an opportunity to drill my counterpart about church attendance.  Drilling, drilling and drilling some more, my mentor asked "Do you go to church and Do you pray with your children?"  My fellow equal began stammering and our mentor, seeing blood, went in for the kill.  "You're owning it!" he exclaimed.  He then explained to us that when we defend deficiencies in our life we are owning it.  "Why would you want to own a weakness?" and "Don't defend it!" he said.  "admit your weaknesses and take action to improve your situation."  

• Plan/Do/Review