183_Danger: Comfort Zone

Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast

Episode 183

Danger: Comfort Zone

There are so many warning signs about the fate of our planet yet the average person is happy to live in comfortable ignorance. Have you ever stopped to ask why people are so complacent about something that truly affects our future? Furthermore, because of this complacency we are loosing some very important life skills. 

But are we really to blame? Or is this the end result of our modern culture? Are we now so comfortable that we feel as if certain life skills don’t even apply any more? Besides, we can always look it up on the internet. 

We are numbly happy to live in our comfort zone yet stepping outside those boundaries is exactly what is needed if we are going to build a sustainable future. And that is the focus of this episode183 Danger: Comfort Zone. 

Welcome back everyone to the Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast. This is your host Patrick and this is E183 which is called Danger: Comfort Zone. 

Sustainability Question of the Week

What is a carbon offset and are they valid?

Good News Story of the Week

This story comes from Australia and it is about the accidental discovery of a small generator that uses greenhouse gases to generate electricity. 

University of Queenslands research officers were working with small generators, which they called nano generators, that ran on a process called ion transport. The project had been going for three years. 

Then one day one of the researchers noticed that the generator was using CO2 to generate electricity. The results were double checked and then the nano generator was sealed in a box and CO2 was pumped into it. The results were confirmed again. 

This small generator was only 4 x 6 cm. But larger devices could be used to power smaller electronics such as office equipment. The research team will continue to refine the technology. So CO2 generators may be in our future and may be another way we can mitigate the effects of CO2 in our atmosphere. 

So, for this week, hats off to the researchers at the University of Queensland. 

Okay folks, let’s move on to this weeks episode. 

What I want to examine in this episode is why staying in our comfort zone is the worst thing we can do. Living such a life limits our growth, impedes positive change, and delays much needed action to build a sustainable future. I also want to give you some real life examples of how getting out of your comfort zone can help you have a life that is a hundred times better than you could have ever imagined. So, let’s get started.

People in general are resistant to change. I have seen this over and over again in my years of practice. New research is published, new technology emerges, or new medications are developed that can greatly improve patient care. Despite obvious evidence of such, many older practitioners are hesitant to make changes to how they do things. The typical resistance I get is “Well, I’ve been doing this for 30 years and it has always worked.” So, why are we met with such resistance when there is an obvious benefit to changing what we do? 

But I would ask the same question about the fate of our planet. We have multiple warning signs that we need to change how we live. Most studies show that nearly 75% of people know they need to change their lifestyle. Yet there is an enormous gap between what we know we should be doing and the people that are actually doing it. It’s as if we are all speeding alone in a car and we just past a sign that says “Danger, cliff ahead.” And we all look at each other and say, “Well, it hasn’t happened yet.”

Despite the obvious warning signs we exist day-to-day in our comfort zone and refuse to make much needed changes. And this of course is the worst thing we can do. 

You know I have lived in Colorado for many years now. One thing about being here has always been consistent. Colorado is notorious for sudden changes in weather. The saying goes, “If you don’t like the weather, just wait ten minutes.” But, weather changes are even more sudden and dramatic at the cabin. It is a combination of living at a high altitude and in close proximity to the continental divide which is less than 5 miles west of the cabin. 

It can be a nice warm sunny day and within a few minutes the temperature drops 15 degrees and it starts snowing. One to two hours later it is sunny again. Sometimes a storm front moves in and sits over the divide. It snows and blows for days at a time. Meanwhile, you can drive 3 to 5 miles down the road and there is blue sky. And to this day the weather remains just as unpredictable. But the result of this lifestyle was it taught me to always be prepared for the worst. Cabin life, bye one means or another, always seemed to be a test of my resilience. 

Last week’s weather in Denver was a perfect example. Just a few days prior the temperature in Denver was 78 ºF.  Now is was below freezing and snowing again. During the snowstorm I was standing in the lobby of a hospital talking with a client. I noticed he was wearing sandals. I cracked a joke about it and he said something to the effect of “My feet are only cold for a short period of time. Besides, I truly believe that a little discomfort helps to build our resilience.” 

We had a good laugh about that and I told him I completely agreed. I told him a little bit about the challenges of life at the cabin. After all these years life seems to fluctuate between comfort and extreme challenge. 

Just when you think it’s safe, a bobcat kills another chicken. Just when you think you are in for an easy day, a tree blows down across the road or a gigantic boulder rolls off the hill and is in the road. Just when you think you are in for an easy weekend, it snows 3 feet. Just when all is quiet for a while, you walk outside and find yourself face to face with a mountain lion. With all these random things it’s hard to sit back in your comfort zone and be complacent. 

Bye now many of you may be questioning why I would want to live in such a place. On one hand I have managed to create a measure of comfort at the cabin. That is why I am still there after 27 years. On the other hand, bye the very nature of what I do, there will always be certain challenges. But, I truly think that a little discomfort improves your resilience.  But I also believe that your comfort zone is the most dangerous place to be. Comfort may actually be your enemy. 

Now maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration because comfort does have its place. On a cold winter day, sitting by the wood stove is very comfortable and safe.  I have my favorite pair of hiking boots that are well broken in and they are very comfortable. My  UTV has a heated cab that is very comfortable. What a change from years of plowing the road on an ATV in below zero weather. So, comfort certainly has its place.  

But I also believe having a life of complete comfort is not something anyone should strive to accomplish. If you do achieve that you will be living a life that falls far short of your personal capabilities. And that is no bueno. Yet so many of us are taught to work hard because one day we won’t have to work hard. 

But some would argue there are some perfectly good reasons to stay in your comfort zone. 

-It allows you to draw on past experiences, things that you’ve done before and tasks that you’ve completed repeatedly. 

-It limits your anxiety. New experiences can cause a bit of stress. Staying in your comfort zone allows you to work with confidence. 

-It minimizes your risk because you are familiar with what you are doing. 

-Sometimes operating outside you comfort zone can be exhausting. Returning to your zone can be relaxing. 

But always being in your comfort zone has some significant limitations. 

Being comfortable may limit your growth

Consider for a moment where you are in your life right now. Then ask yourself what you would want your life to be like 5 years from now. Few people realize that the decisions you make today will largely determine what your life is going to be like years from now. As long as you sit in your comfort zone, nothing is ever going to change. You are never going to learn anything new. You are never going to grow. 

Your comfort zone limits your experiences

Many, many, many people resist change. They surround themselves with their comfort zone never realizing they could be living a life that is a hundred times better. So, if you want to expand your horizons, then try something new. 

Your comfort zone creates complacency 

One of the biggest reasons I stay self employed and have the lifestyle that I do is that I decided a long time ago I did not like it when someone changed the rules without my permission. I would rather be the one that is in control of my schedule, how much money I make, and when I take time off. However, that is not the case with most people. 

I see this sort of thing on a regular basis. Someone spends decades working for a company only to be laid off 5 years before retirement. Or the company you have worked with for years is sold and the entire management team changes and so do all the rules. Or the economy takes a serious down turn. Or a pandemic comes along. The point being, life often changes without your permission and there is nothing you can do because you were not prepared. 

Nothing ventured, nothing gained

Maybe this is a phrase that is overused. But if you don’t try anything new you will never succeed at anything new.

Missing the opportunity to make your comfort zone bigger

Pushing outside your usual boundaries means you are making your comfort zone even bigger. When you take risks, and even embrace the doubt and discomfort, and then you succeed, you boost your confidence and build your overall skill set. 

A number of years ago, I was on an extended trip to Ecuador. It was my first time in South America and I was living with a Columbian family. I quickly became friends with an American that had lived in Ecuador for most of his life. Jonathan came by the house one day and said he was taking a vacation and was going to one of his favorite places in the Amazon basin. He asked if I wanted to come along. Curious, of course, I asked him what exactly this entailed. 

Jonathan said we would take a plane and fly into the small city of Coca in the Amazon basin. From there we would take a boat and travel down the Napo River toward Peru. The Napo River was one of the major contributors to the Amazon River. At some point we would branch off and travel up the Piranha River to small lodge. Estimated travel distance was 250 miles. 

At some point during our travel I asked Jonathan what would happen if the boat became disabled or someone had a serious accident. He basically said, “You’re screwed!”

Needless to say this was by far the riskiest trip I had ever taken. But the rewards were remarkable. We visited numerous small villages and were invited into peoples homes. We watched the local indigenous tribe make homemade chocolate. We were taught about local medicinal and edible plants. And we had piranha and eggs for breakfast everyday. I saw numerous things that most people only see on the pages of National Geographic. 

And this was all the result of my willingness to step out of my comfort zone and expand my horizons. 

I’m sure at some point in time we have all heard the saying that the only thing in the world that is constant is change. Whether you like it or not, the world is constantly changing, sometimes over night. If we all insist on sitting in our comfort zone sooner or later the game is going to change and you are not going to be ready. 

For many of us, I think the challenge is trying to grasp the big picture. We are so busy living our lives that we tend to focus inward instead of outward. Big changes in the world are not something we tend to worry about. Yet during the time that humans have been on this planet,  there have been several major transitions that have literally changed the course of human history. For example: 

-The use of fire: This made it possible for humans to cook food and improve nutrition, clear vegetation, improve hunting capabilities and even live in colder climates. The use of fire certainly promoted the spread of humanity into different parts of the world. 

-The use of language: the improved our ability to communicate which resulted in more complex communities, the use of improved tools and of course improved hunting skills. 

-The development of agriculture: the consequence of this was increased population growth and density. It also enabled people to have a more sedentary lifestyle, and allowed for the accumulation of wealth and possessions. 

-The development of civilization: this meant even more complex societies. People started to move away from agriculture and into small cities. This is when we saw the development of non-food producing specialists such as kings, soldiers, and crafts people

-European Conquests: Ocean-going ships were development which resulted in new settlements and increased trade, the exchange of people, plants, animals and information. Greater agricultural yields resulted in a population explosion. 

-Scientific and technological revolution and the dominance of fossil fuels as the primary energy source.  At this point in time the energy demand of the economy soon became so massive that satisfying that demand was impossible without the use of fossil fuels.

But what is interesting to note is that as humanity advanced in technology, our lives became more sedentary. Those that accumulated possessions and money became the elite. This in turn caused a stratification of our society and social inequalities were greatly magnified. And that is what we continue to see to this day.

But there is a seventh transition coming whether you like it or not. That is the transition to renewable energy. Perhaps even the complete elimination of the use of fossil fuels. Sooner or later we are going to have to transition into a circular economy. We will likely see a contraction of the economy to something more local instead of global. We may lose some of our choices and have to live with a little less because that is what it will take to save the planet. 

What this means is that you will have to step outside your comfort zone. I have often said to people that you had better learn how to live sustainably while you still have a choice. You had better learn to live on less and live a simpler life while you still have a choice. 

In my opinion the best way to protect yourself from unexpected change is to continuously expose yourself to new experiences, new opportunities, and continue to learn and evolve. Then when something changes without your permission you will be able to adapt. Louis Pasteur once said, “Chance favors the prepared mind.” So, be prepared.

So why is this so important? 

Living in your comfort zone is actually the worst place you could be. It is only going to hold you back.

The world around us is constantly changing whether you like it or not. We now live in a global community with a global economy. It is now possible for something to happen in a small country that changes the entire global community practically over night. A financial collapse, a drought, crop failure or foreign invasion. And more recently, the pandemic. All of these are things we cannot control yet it has a direct impact on our lives. The only way to protect yourself from such things is to get out of your comfort zone, learn something new, grow, challenge yourself and be prepared. The best thing you can do for yourself is to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

If you have been following me for sometime then you know that one of the things I love to do is scuba diving. About 5 years ago I became certified as an instructor. But what most people do not know that was in a lot of ways the end result of me challenging myself to overcome a fear. 

You see, when I was fairly young I had a near drowning experience in our local community swimming pool. After that I spent many years be fearful of the water. But then I got to the point that I decided to overcome that fear and push my comfort level.  

My first step was to take swimming lessons. After I felt comfortable with swimming I joined a swim team and swam competitively for four years. After that I started kayaking and doing other water sports. Then I pushed myself even further and started scuba diving. And I eventually became certified as a diving instructor. 

Certainly if I had allowed my fear to block me into my comfort zone my amazing dive and travel experiences would have only been a dream. If I had allowed comfort to get in my way I would never have built the cabin that I have now.  I have certainly learned all about the joys of stepping outside my comfort zone. In fact, I have come to believe that all of us should actively look for ways to do things that make us feel uncomfortable. 

One thing is certain, the affects that humanity has had on the planet up to this point are not reversible in the lifespan of anyone alive today. If we sit back in our arrogance and simply enjoy the past fruits of our success those changes are going to continue to accelerate unless we step outside our comfort zone and change the way we live. 

Change is going to happen without our permission. We need to learn to anticipate those changes and adapt accordingly. We need to get past our fears and beyond our comfort zone and work toward a sustainable future regardless of what it costs and regardless of how uncomfortable it may feel. There may be a period of inconvenience and discomfort but sooner or later humans will figure out a way to be sustainable and comfortable. So when we pass that sign that says “Danger, cliff ahead,” we just might decide to put on the brakes. 

In our modern culture, we no longer have to provide for ourselves. You can have anything you want with one click. In fact, ease and convenience is top of the list for most people, not the impact they are having on the planet. But that needs to change. 

But when it comes to a sustainable lifestyle convenience is not the king. It is our addiction to  convenience that is one of the common roadblocks to sustainable living. And it all rests in the fact that we have become far too comfortable with our convenience. 

I would encourage all of you to start stepping outside your comfort zone. One of the best ways to do this is to make lifelong learning a daily habit because there is so much more to learn if we just keep an open mind and not be fearful of change. 

Alright folks, let’s start wrapping up this episode by answering the sustainability question of the week. 

What is a carbon offset and are they valid? 

A carbon offset is a means by which individuals or companies can offset their carbon emissions by investing in projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Examples would be reforestation, renewable energy, waste and landfill management, agricultural land management. 

Many people believe, and research seems to confirm, that carbon offsets are not truly valid. There is currently no standardized way to measure the offsets. Greater than 90% of the offsets that are sold by some of the biggest providers do no actually reduce emissions. Furthermore, when it comes to reforestation projects, it takes 20 years for tree saplings to become viable for carbon offsetting. 

Another argument, which I think is valid, is that companies purchase carbon offsets as a form or greenwashing. They pat themselves on the back to funding reforestation projects and use that as a justification to continue their bad behavior. 

Personally, I think it is just another way of using science and technology as a mean to solving our problems without changing the underlying behavior that got us where are are in the first place. But we can view this as a difficulty to overcome or an opportunity to embrace. Winston Churchill once said, “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity: an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty. 

Well that’s about it for this week folks. Don’t forget to visit my updated home page for the podcast where you can download 200 sustainability questions and answers. You can find me at adventuresinsustainableliving.com

And one last thing before I go. During the next week, think about this one question. 

What would you do if you were not afraid? 

Until next week, this is your host Patrick signing off. Always remember to live sustainably because this is how we build a better future