Get Out Of My Way

I have this idea, delusion, or thought that out there in cyberspace a decent number of people read this blog regularly.
That occasionally the blog strikes them enough to share it with a friend or two
I don't write to impress, or to get accolades, or anything along those lines; I simply write to put stuff out there and share/give my ideas or thoughts on stuff - primarily acting.
Today as I sit here at my computer I cannot help but honestly wonder how many people this specific thought applies to:

What is in my way?

I rolled out of bed today and I thought what do I need to do?
A list of things hit me, from the menial to the trivial and to the all important (pay the rent!)
Then I paused and I wondered what do I want to do?
And I paused again what do I want to do because it advances me?
And so I came to how do I want to advance?

What thing will I do today that allows me to advance in my career, in my life, in my humanity?
What is in my way from answering that question and then acting on it?

I ran the list of to "do's" once again. I discovered that many of these things need to be done.  Not much choice. They are the simple social and personal tasks that allow us to live in society.  Rent must be paid,  garbage taken out, bills paid, food eaten etc.  How much time does it take?  Given a little bit of thought these tasks, often daily tasks, do not take much time.  They do take organization, and thought so they can be put into my day and accomplished but they don't take up much time.

What is left, and what do I want to do?  Read a play, work out, edit, write, blog the list goes on.  So why am I not doing them?  These things in reality take longer. Why? Because I will focus on them and dedicate myself to them and work on them till I feel complete with them.  They are not the garbage they are the "breath" of my life.  So I asked myself again why am I not accomplishing them?  To everyone reading, use me as an example right now and think about it.  I would like to read one play weekly, I'm not doing it, but really how hard is it to set aside a total of two hours once a week? or one hour twice a week? or….It is not that hard.  It requires effort, it requires planning and thought but it is not that hard.

Comfort is the state in which the individual, for better or worse, is familiar with surroundings, routines, habits and regular motion of the situation the individual is in.  Stepping outside of that comfort zone feels insane.  Think about that nice warm bed on a cold winter morning and how hard it can be to remove the covers.  Yeah, stepping out of the comfort zone is crazy.  Staying in it is crazier.  I read an article once about abused women.  Statistically speaking even after a serious event, something where some level of intervention occurs to help the woman break away from the abuse, the woman will return to the abusive relationship or find herself in another abusive relationship when she moves on.  All the "they" people in the world point out that regardless of its detriment to the woman it is a place of comfort, "at least I know what it is like to be abused and what to expect today", that is easier to accept and go to than the fear of, "being alone and never finding a good man", or "finding the courage to simply be alone", or "going home to start again" or…or…or…

I am comfortable doing what I am doing.  On my plate, in this comfortable place, are a lot of things that I could be doing to change myself, to grow and achieve.  So what is standing in my way?  Why am I not doing what I want to do?  I have been thinking about this question since I woke up this morning. There is only one answer.  I am standing in my way!  

I turn it back to you my readers and I ask you this - Are you standing in your own way?  If so why and do you want to step out of your comfort zone?  

My final thought is one that sits in the belief that the world changes through little actions multiplied thousands of times.  If you know someone who stands in their own way, forward them this blog, and see if it offers any impetus for them.  See if it generates conversation.  See if it effects in any way.  And then work with those outcomes.