Let's Talk About Words

     There are numerous quotes regarding the need to push yourself out of your comfort zone. Even the actor Ashton Kutcher was quoted as saying, "I'm continually trying to make choices that put me against my own comfort zone. As long as you're uncomfortable, it means that you are growing." Your  comfort zone is a where you feel secure and in control. Where do I feel most comfortable?  I am pretty content as a mother, as a teacher, in the city and in the country. I am taking the least amount of risks when I write, but where I feel discomfort is having tough discussions with others. Even when I was little, I would write my mother a note instead of just asking her something. I definitely do not like confrontation either, so I often avoid that, sometimes at all costs. Going to events where I don't know anyone would also be outside of my comfort zone . Once I know someone, I will talk and talk and talk, but  I get anxious speaking to new people. ...

             William Butler Yeats said that, "We are happy when we are growing ." When my daughters were little, we had a growth chart on the kitchen door. They were constantly asking me, "Did I grow?", and I would stop everything to measure them. If they grew, we would mark off their new height and the date, and they would be so excited. If they did not grow, I would give them suggestions of how they could help themselves grow taller like, "Drink more milk, get more sleep, play outside more." Do we stop growing once we reach adulthood? How can we measure our personal development and growth ? We can't lean against the door to measure it, but hopefully we continue to grow our whole lives. If I had a chart that measured my growth, I would probably see large spikes where I went through the most difficult times of my life like my divorce and my father's death.  When my life is going great, I am less likely to grow and change.  Unfortuna...