Living Outside Your Comfort Zone

(Cover photo: Man sitting back relaxing)

Hi everyone,

It can be a challenge to live outside our comfort zone, but that is often what we have to do, for example, when joining Wealthy Affiliate and learning new skills to build a successful business.

While being in the U.S. Marines, I taught myself to make living outside of my comfort zone as my new comfort zone. For me, it made things easier and more exciting.

They might be perceived as dangerous, or exciting or just another adventure.

I also wasn't interested in having "things". I preferred accumulating experiences that I could always remember and learn from.

I'm also very independent.

I would have to say one of the more dangerous things I ever did and I was certainly naïve about the present danger to it was from 1982 -1984 on my off time, I would spend the time in Chinatown Honolulu talking with prostitutes and drug addicts.

I wanted to be like their friend and know about the circumstances that brought them to where they were.

Initially it took months to start to gain their trust as there no one does something for nothing so they were trying to figure out what real motivations I had. Unknown to me at the time, it was also the most dangerous time for me. The pimps who often were unseen were concerned about my activities and if I might be trying to get their "assets" off the streets. I learned this later from some of the ladies, but by then everyone was comfortable with my presence there.

I was called the Donut Man because there was a late night bakery there and I would buy donuts and offer them as a way to break the ice and initiate a conversation.

There were many different reasons how people got started.

2 young women chose being a prostitute as a way to fast track becoming rich. They could work for a few years then retire. The downside they didn't see is that lifestyle will often lead to drug addiction to numb their experiences or pain and there went any money they hoped to retire on and now they were servants to the addiction. Very sad.

I had a temporary assignment to Japan and when I returned I learned that an 18/19 year old prostitute was beaten, raped and murdered. That really broke my heart and I stopped my work at that time and would be leaving Hawaii soon anyway.

I was always afraid of heights so what do you do?

You face the fear head on!

Extreme Parasailing off the coast of Honolulu

Ziplining above Cebu City, Philippines

Climbing to the top of Mt Fuji, Japan

Have you Hugged an Albino Python today?

Running with the Bulls 3 years in a row Arcos de la Frontera, Spain

Not 100% safe. Every year at least one American would be injured as in gored by a bull. One person spent over a year in the hospital as a result. Hopefully lesson learned: Don't drink and play with the bulls.

Deep Sea Fishing Off Oahu, Hawaii

Some things are just plain fun!

The Unknown Santa Claus :-)

Usually during my 8 years in the Marines, I would try to come home at Christmas time and I would dress up as Santa Claus, buy presents and then randomly deliver them around town. No one ever knew who I was and what parents are going to turn away Santa Claus when their children are asking them to let me come in the house??? haha One of the more pleasurable things I have ever done "outside" my comfort zone that became my comfort zone.

So break free of any chains that are holding you back and learn to live outside of your comfort zone as much as possible!

To Our Success!

Mel Waller