Taking Chances

"Behold the turtle: He only makes progress when he sticks his neck out."
James Bryant Conant

Do you hold back from exploring new ideas and activities?

Do you automatically go for what you already know and are comfortable with?

Do you stay in your safety or comfort zone?

The thing about hanging out in safety zones is that you will never receive more than what you already have.

Do you desire more freedom and joy in your life?

Your desires are not going to make their way into your life if you continue doing the same safe things.

Have you ever heard it mentioned before that you can't expect different results if you keep doing the same things?

This definitely applies to taking chances.

Other ways to put it is stretching yourself, stepping outside of your comfort zone, or stepping outside of your box.

I personally like to refer to it as stretching my comfort zone. It feels better to me.

Fear can often hold us captive if we think about stepping out of that comfort zone completely. Yet if you think about, stretching a bit doesn't feel as big or overwhelming.

Here is an example from my own experience. I'm moving into more public speaking and mini-workshops. I've been stretching towards this for a while.

It started out with attending teleseminars, and speaking up from time to time. Next, I interviewed someone else over the telephone. They did most of the talking, but I asked the questions. I did more interviews, held my own one hour teleclasses, moved onto being interviewed, longer telecourses, radio shows, etc. Each action stretched me just a little bit more. And now I'm ready to go live!

I like to use a visual of a balloon.

When you take a balloon out of the package, it's hard to blow up. You may pull on it to stretch it and make it easier to blow up. Once you let the air out (kind of like setbacks), the next time you blow it up, it's easier. Each time the air gets let out and you blow it up, it gets easier and easier to do so.

Each time you stretch your comfort zone, it gets easier. You build your confidence. You give yourself more successes to build on.

Are you considering adding a new aspect to your business?

Are you thinking about starting a business so you can leave your J.O.B.?

What would it take for you to get started?

What would it take for you to commit to stretching yourself, even just a little bit?

Don't wait anymore. Get started now.

You can do it!

~*~*~*~

Velma Gallant is an Author, Speaker, Trainer and Abundance Coach. She's a co-author in a best-selling book series with Mark Victor Hansen, Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dyer called "Wake Up Live the Life you Love: Finding Personal Freedom". Velma is the creator of Living Abundant Joy where she interviewed 19 outrageously successful speakers, marketers and coaches on Abundance. She publishes a weekly e-newsletter called "Welcome Changes", which reaches over 45 countries around the world. Velma coaches entrepreneurs and business people to be abundantly successful in both business and life. You can visit Velma's website at http://www.WelcomeChanges.com, or reach her by email at velma@welcomechanges.com.