Out of Your Element and Growing

It's no secret that all of us are different. In some way or another we differ, whether it be our beliefs, opinions, height, weight, backround, etc. An important way that we differ though and the highlight of this blog is the fact that each of us grow and develop in different situations as well.

Who knows what the cause is. Perhaps it begins with a choice. A young child chooses one thing over another and grows in that direction. Or perhaps it begins through a genetic disposition. The child is naturally good at something and thus takes part in that activity more often. Most likely, it is a combination of the two but nevertheless, each person grows to be more comfortable in some situations and less comfortable in others.

The situation that you are most comfortable with is your element, your realm, or niche. This is the type of situation where you're the most "you." This is because your relaxed. You've been in this situation so many times that you know what's up, you can act like you've been here before. There's no reason to worry about unexpected happenings in your element and thus your not on edge.

The situations that make you uncomfortable are easy to recognize. Usually they involve something new and thus you have no idea what to expect. You want to look like you've been here before and know what's up when in actuality you have no idea. Your tense and thinking too much about every movement, every word, everything and you get caught up.

The thing is that each of these types of situations is different for everyone. Some people feel comfortable alone, while others can't stand it and need to be social. Some people feel good in situations where there is little competition while others thrive on it. Some people excel in the classroom while others on the field of play.

These are not mutually exclusive situations though. Its not one or the other. All are open paths for everyone. They just take a little practice, a little exploring, and a lot of experience. They are fruitful endeavors though. The more experience you have, the more relaxed you become, and when your relaxed you can see things as they truly are, you look outwardly instead of inwardly, you simplify the world.

The last synonym for your element is your comfort zone. We've all heard the advice to get out of our comfort zone. This has many reasons. One, you can never know what you are truly good at if you refuse to leave what you're at now. You could be the greatest pinball champion the world has ever known. Second, you learn more about yourself the more situations you take part in. In some situations the true you reveals itself. Lastly, you become more relaxed in more situations and thus are able to look at the world through a clear lense.

Realize too that being a newbie is part of the game. Nobody knows everything their first try. Trial and error, that's the method.