Comfort Zone

How many of us would be willing to step out of our comfort zone and go into the unknown? This thing called ‘Comfort Zone’ has been the main hurdle in most people’s lives. Staying in the comfort zone is easy, comfortable and contented. Everyone loves the comfort zone.

I remember when I was working in the Ministry Of Home Affairs Central Narcotics Bureau many years ago, I was asked whether I want to move on to another position within CNB, or to be transferred to the Ministry of Home Affairs Headquarters to try a totally different position. My predecessors all made the choice to stay in CNB because it’s a happy family, and staying put in the organisation would let them stay within their comfort zone. At that point, I decided that I wanted to take the risk and venture out to a totally different job scope. I thought that since I was still relatively young, I could ‘afford’ to take risks. It was a decision that would make me leave all the dear colleagues-turned-good-friends, and the very cohesive working environment at CNB. Still, I took that plunge.

I have to admit, it was extremely uncomfortable for me in my new job. There were parts of my new job scope which I was absolutely not good at. My job then required me to sift through news programmes and newspapers everyday to extract critical news and information pertaining to the Home Team, and I was one who HATED reading the newspapers or watching the news. It was torturous, to say the least. Thankfully, there were those other parts of the job scope that I enjoyed doing and did well at. Plus, the colleagues were supportive and fun to hang around with. That helped me get through the two years I spent there. From there, I left the job to become a full-time worker in my church. It’s been six years since, and every moment of the six years had been wonderful, enjoyable and very satisfying.

As I looked back on the journey I took to eventually reach where I really am called to do, I could pinpoint exactly what God was training me to do every step of the way. Even those parts where I felt miserable and struggling as I stepped out of my comfort zone, God taught me many things through the experiences. I am the way I am today because of the ‘training’ I had gone through in my last few jobs. Stepping out of my comfort zone had not been easy, but because I’ve done it before, I find it a lot easier to do that now. It’s like a level I’ve managed to break through. Stepping out of the comfort zone made me stronger mentally and emotionally, more resilient in my mind and forced me to become more sociable and approachable.

As I grow older in age, may I not become yet another person who’s just happy staying in my comfort zone and not make any efforts to improve myself or push myself against the limits.