Comfort Zone vs. the Magic Zone
20 MayLast week I shared this YouTube video, which my good friend Lynda of Hit the Road Jane fame shared with me.
Lynda knows that I’ve been on this journey to find a way to make living in the moment a way of life and knows the struggles I’ve had staying there. This video very accurately explains those struggles by walking us through how the Comfort Zone, the Learning Zone and the Magic Zone work together in getting us closer to our dream(s) – which Inknowation states should come with a definite deadline, and clear steps to achieve.
Family and Friends are a big part of our Comfort Zone
What is the Comfort Zone? Well according to this Inknowation production it’s a metaphor for the environment we find ourselves in day in and day out. It’s familiar to us and is filled with things we can control, like our habits, routines, attitudes, behavior etc. No need to define this further though, I think we all know what our comfort zones are. 
Inknowation says that around our comfort zone is our learning zone, which is where we observe, experiment and compare, learn and enjoy. You’re either passionate about this zone and you gravitate to it often or the mere thought of it takes you to your panic zone or no experience zone as they call it, which is where you get scared and wonder – What if something goes wrong?
Me ,10,000+ ft up, at the top of Sandia Mountain
I myself love the learning zone. Although I may not always visit the learning zone, I know that when I do I generally leave revitalized and ready to take on the world. Inknowation says that this is the general feeling for those who instead of thinking about what could go wrong, say – What if I get it right? Those who believe that are now in the magic zone – where wonderful things can happen.
I’ve made it there many times and a lot more times since making living in the moment a way of life. Unfortunately, according to Inknowation, just because you’ve made it to this zone that does not mean that you’ve left your comfort zone for life. It merely means that you are open to change and developing another other side of you that is not afraid to lose what you have or who you are.
This is where emotional and creative tension begin, where one is trying to help you grow, while the other one is trying to pull you back to your comfort zone. To help balance this tug of war, Inknowation suggests you deal with it by acknowledging that this pull is taking place, but trusting and believing in yourself enough to where you are the one truly making the decision(s), rather than letting your fears decide things for you. The video points out that whatever we don’t decide for ourselves, others (fear) will decide for us – but by properly managing our fears, our self esteem will grow and we’ll be able to realize our dreams. Inknowation acknowledges that leaving behind our comfort zone leaves us feeling vulnerable, but it’s ok, we’re human. It’s not about completely shutting ourselves off from our comfort zone, but more about trying to find the balance so that we can return to any of the zones at any given time, for the positives they offer us, so that we can continue to be confident in our strategies to make our dreams come true – daring to dream.
Have you found your magic zone? What brings you back to your comfort zone?
Vulnerability and Self Awareness, Why Do You Escape Me?
13 May
Just when I think I’ve found the secret to living in the moment and not letting my need to be a controlling, perfectionist take over, the controlling, perfectionist, EGO rears its ugly head again and I begin to let my bad habits return. 
I begin to shut down and stop being vulnerable to my best friend and boy friend, which causes him to shut down and we both begin to let our EGOs question whether we should be in a relationship with each other, because after all we deserve to be with someone who doesn’t make us shut down, right?
That then opens to door for me to again ignore my hunger and fullness levels and instead choose to numb myself with food. It’s a vicious cycle that I often lose sight because it feeds my EGO. Were it not for OWN and Oprah, I may continue to spiral and let these things win, as they’ve done in the past, which has led me to be overweight and alone. A vicious cycle I say.
Thankfully, I do have OWN, Oprah and Super Soul Sunday to bring me back to self awareness and again remind me that everything I experience is determined by how I decide to react to everything around me, i.e. I’m in control of how happy I want to be with my life. Why I continuously fight that notion, as a recovering control freak, I don’t know, but I do. Actually, what am I saying…it’s my strong EGO which every day I think I’ve conquered, but clearly I’ve only kept at bay.
Thankfully, OWN recently re-ran Brene Brown’s sit down with Oprah and I truly heard their message. It’s funny how words impact you differently when you’re ready to truly hear them. That was where I found myself.
I had previously seen Brene Brown’s first sit down with Oprah, but it didn’t impact me in the same way. Below are some of the key items Brene shared that stuck out for me and caused me to get back to the happiness I am always searching for, but somehow every few weeks, I let my EGO sabatoge.
- We live in a scarcity culture, where we don’t have enough & ultimately aren’t enough, which leads us to shut down & lose vulnerability which is the birthplace of everything we’re hungry for (deep, think about this one)
- There is no such thing as being beyond judgement (so stop trying to be…note to self)
- Self talk – “If I look perfect, act perfect, etc. I will never be hurt” – Brene says that only keeps us living in fear and never truly seen.
- You have to actively practice gratitude to experience true joy
- Stop chasing the extra ordinary, enjoy and be grateful of the ordinary
- Let go of certainty to live in true vulnerability (a true work in progress for me)
- Vulnerability is uncertainty, risk & emotional exposure (opposite of everything I’ve trained myself to value – certainty and emotional shields – long road, but not impossible)
How to you manage to keep yourself in the vulnerability/self-awareness way of life? How do you keep your EGO at bay?
How Will You Celebrate This Mother’s Day?
10 MayAlthough I’m not your normal Mom, i.e. of actual children, I am a mother to these three beautiful babies.
They may not be able to get up and cook me breakfast or make me a card for Mother’s Day, but I know they’ll do the next best thing…they’ll be excited to see me and will love me unconditionally. So this Mother’s Day weekend we will celebrate by putting the Fitbit Zip Wireless Activity Tracker, I received free from RadioShack, to the test as we take a nice relaxing walk together, de-stressing and living in the moment. 
This is why I love the FitBit! My day one tally says I burned over 1400 calories, walked over 12,500 steps and a little over 5 miles…geez I was busy yesterday. Hope I can keep it up
Being healthy, both of body and mind is a never ending journey for me and the Fitbit will not only track my steps, distance walked and calories burned, but it will automatically sync that information to my online Fitbit profile, which through the Fitbit app, I can log my food intake, weight, set my fitness goals, etc. It’s even sweat, rain and splash proof (Dang, that means that even on a rainy day like today I have no excuse not to move huh?). Groovy no?
Gotta love technology…even if you’re a Mom. Gadgets aren’t just for Dad’s anymore, trust me and RadioShack is a one stop shop. They have everything from the Fitbit to Tablets to Cameras to Power Banks – oh my. Everything I hope to have in my gadget drawer soon.
Regardless of whether the Mom in your life is a techie or not, make sure you spend the day doing something nice for her, whatever that may be.
How does your Mom like to be celebrated? If you’re a Mom, how do you like to be celebrated?
In Love with the Adelante Movement (@AdelantePower)!!! #Hispz13
6 MayA few weeks ago I was introduced to the Adelante Movement thanks to Hispanicize 2013. My friend Melanie had spoken very highly of it from her experience during the 2012 tour and I was hooked on learning more once I found out that legends Rita Moreno and Charo would be speaking on the Adelante Movement panel, hosted by founder, Nely Galan.
The event began with Nely reviewing why she decided to start the Adelante Movement – to help women gain the economic freedom to make choices for themselves and everyone else in their lives – by sharing the things that we as women tend to put ahead of ourselves (below are a few of those things).
Charo and I after the Adelante Movement presentation
Then legend Charo took the stage to share her story. She shared stories about her first marriage (which was an arranged “Hollywood” marriage) and how she got to where she is now through lots of hard work and preparation. When she was asked if she would change anything, she stated she would not because everything she’s experienced has afforded her the ability to invest wisely in various properties, which is one of the highlights of Nely’s Adelante Movement. She also added however, that although she’s met Presidents, Kings and Queens, if tomorrow she had to sell fruit on the street, she would do it with the same dignity she does everything now. Charo is a true entertainer through and through and she kept the room laughing and engaged through out her presentation, which ended with her providing us her secret to her fountain of youth (check it out below).
Rita Moreno and I
Legend Rita Moreno then shared her story about her rise in Hollywood. She shared that when her mother first took her to meet with MGM, they coined her the Spanish Elizabeth Tailor and she knew she had made it. She also shared some of the difficulties of being a beautiful woman in a male dominated Hollywood. It was amazing to hear of her strength as she pushed her way through and it was even more wonderful to hear her closing song (enjoy it below).
Overall, I am enamoured with Nely Galan‘s drive to start and continue to spread the word on the Adelante Movement and I look forward to the opportunity to continue to share their word and hopefully one day partner with this amazing cause.
Nely Galan encouraging me to continue to follow the Adelante Movement
Thanks Melanie Mendez-Gonzales from ¿Qué Means What? for taking the pics of me with the Latina Legends of the Adelante Movement and for being an awesome friend and fellow Latina blogger.
What moves you to move past stereo types and seek to be the best you can be? How do you lend a helping hand to those who are trying to get to to a similar place?
