By Dawn Onley

Being comfortable is one of those double-edged swords.

It’s great to be comfortable in the sense that we share gratitude for a roof to sleep under, food to eat and clothes to wear. Those creature comforts, which should be basic human rights, are sadly not afforded to everyone.

However, being comfortable also comes with a downside.

It’s easy to become too comfortable. It’s also easy to become stagnant when we’re comfortable. It’s much easier to stay put, even when we know we have grown past that relationship, past that job, past that small town and past all the drama and foolishness.

Our lives take on a certain routine. They can almost run on autopilot. We can get into a habit of the day to day commitments that before we know it, years have flown by and those things we longed to accomplish, never get done. Comfort can equal complacency.

For change to occur, we need to be uncomfortable. Just like kids on the first day of school unsure of the path ahead, in order for us to reach the next level we can’t be afraid to learn new things and to try different approaches. We have to put aside the jitters.

“You cannot become changed in an area where you have become comfortable,” says Bishop T.D. Jakes.

People have a mostly positive view of being comfortable. But you can become comfortable in a rut. You can become comfortable with debt up to your eyeballs. You can become comfortable in a tumultuous relationship. You can become comfortable making bad decision after bad decision. You can even become comfortable hanging with backstabbers and gossip-mongers, convincing yourself that at least you know what you’re dealing with.

Being comfortable is overrated. There is an element of security in it, sure, but when you’re comfortable, you’re confined. Comfort is not worth the cost of freedom.

In order to grow, we must fall out of love with our comfort zone.