Addiction is a terrible disease and can destroy the well-being of a person. Being addicted to something, such as drugs, power, or luxuries, enslaves and prevents us from thinking about other areas of our lives. This obsession or attachment to something ultimately ruins a person’s life.
Many of us are addicted to the comforts of our lives. We feel relaxed with our cozy lifestyle or where we stand in our life. The idea of taking risks and undertaking challenges makes us afraid, and we dismiss such thoughts instantly. For instance, a person satisfied with his job and pay might never think about quitting and starting their own venture. The idea of going jobless sounds shuddering for them. They prefer to play safe and avoid getting involved in unnecessary problems.
The attachment to our comfort zone deters us from chasing our dreams and striving for a better life. Settling for where we are in life prevents us from using our potential to the fullest. This is the hidden meaning of the quote:
A ship in harbor is safe, but that’s not what ships are built for.John A. Shedd
Where Does The Quote Come From?
The quote is attributed to John A. Shedd. It is found in his book The Salt in My Attic on page number 20, which was published in 1928.
Who Was John A. Shedd?
John Augustus Shedd was born in 1859 in Racine, Wisconsin. He was a writer and developed Shedd’s Natural Memory Method, which is a device for utilizing mnemonics as a memory technique. Shedd published his first book ‘Improvement of the memory’ and his second book ‘A Perfect Memory: How to Attain It’ in 1889.
In 1928, Shedd released the book ‘The Salt From My Attic,’ which contains adages and traditional sayings. Shedd’s quotes gained popularity when Ed Howe, a columnist, printed them in famous newspapers like The San Bernardino County Sun and Richmond Times-Dispatch.
What Is The Meaning of The Quote?
The aforesaid quote is a beautiful reminder to us that becoming too comfortable in our comfort zone is not the purpose of our lives. Many people spend their entire lives without trying anything new. Nor do they strive to achieve their goals. Such individuals are afraid of taking risks and facing challenges. Instead of unleashing their potential and using their abilities, they choose to stay where they are.
As humans, it is natural for us to be anxious about new experiences and undertaking complex tasks. We get uneasy thinking about how saying yes to challenges or following our passions would require us to step out of our safe zones. Thus, many of us retreat to our safety area and forget about experiencing new things that can bring us closer to our dreams. During such circumstances, remind yourself that your time on this earth is limited, and it is not wise to be fearful of pursuing the life you desire.
God gave us the gift of life; it is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well.Voltaire
Therefore, do not get so habituated to your comfort zone that you become afraid to explore different avenues that will push you closer to success. Problems, tough times, risks, and failures are essential elements that enrich our life and make us stronger, wiser, and better people. Hence, train your brain to view things out of your comfort zone as exciting opportunities rather than threats. You cannot grow in life if you are hesitant to get uncomfortable by engaging yourself in learning, discovering, and implementing new ideas.
Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing Helen Keller
The 4 Biggest Dangers of Your Comfort Zone
Our comfort zone is an illusion that tricks us into believing that we are safe and nothing can harm us. It sometimes keeps us stagnant and deters us from prospering in life. The following are the 4 major drawbacks of being too attached to your safety zone.
1. Stops us From Following Our Dreams
Our deepest desire is to achieve our goals and live the life we always wished for. However, there is no magic mantra to transform our dreams into reality. The only way to fulfill your vision is to break free from your shell of comfort and be ready to take action.
Learning more about your passions, meeting the right people, and devising a plan for reaching your goals are mandatory to succeed. There will be times when you will have to deal with unpleasant situations or face failure. However, all these negative experiences will help you to become stronger and more resilient. Being fearful and reluctant to expose yourself to risks will shackle you from living your dream life.
All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.Walt Disney
2. Makes Our Skills Obsolete
If a boat is kept in the harbor for a long time, its parts start to tarnish and decay. Moreover, it will not be able to properly set sail. Such is the case with us; spending too much time in our safe zone will make us lazy and destroy our enthusiasm in trying exciting things. Furthermore, our skills and abilities will gradually start to deteriorate, and eventually, we will lose our expertise. Thus, always be daring and never shy away from working on your talents to become a master.
3. Impedes Growth and Creativity
Learning is an ongoing process and it should not stop at any stage of life. Being open to meeting new people, trying and experiencing different things, etc., teaches new lessons that can benefit us. On the contrary, if we stay relaxed with what we know and where we are in life, we will stop our growth. This, in return, will discourage us from moving forward and as a result, we will soon find ourselves stagnate.
4. Results In Regret and Self-Loathing
Failure to step out of your comfort zone results in regret in the later stages of your life. Looking at peers accomplishing their goals and living their dream makes a person remorseful for not taking the chance to do the same. This regret soon develops into self-loathing, which further transforms into constant feeling of disappointment and unhappiness. A sense of guilt flows over you for not taking appropriate steps at the right time to change the course of your life.
Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.Lao Tzu
Thus, train your mind to take risks and face challenging situations to grow. If you always stay content with your current stage of life, you will be upset with yourself in the future for not doing enough and not utilizing your skills.