Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone - Building a Stronger Mind, Body & Spirit

Today at the gym as I thought about moving up in free-weights, I dreaded the challenge.  I knew there would be a lot more effort, awkwardness, frustration, and uncertainty.  I also knew that it was beyond time for me to step out of my comfort zone where I was currently training, if I wanted to create more muscle and strength.  I had become stagnant in my workouts. 

As I moved up the dumbbell rack and looked behind me at the lower free-weights which I had grown accustomed and comfortable, I reminded myself that I would get comfortable again in moving up. I also knew the rewards and gratification I would achieve by pushing myself forward with courage and discipline.  I'd have stronger bones, a leaner body, more endurance, more strength, and a higher metabolism.  I'd have overall better health.   Then it hit me like a ton of bricks!  There's a direct correlation between muscle growth and mental/spiritual growth.  I needed to move up by once again stepping out of my comfort zone for mental/spiritual growth.  I had become stagnant here, as well.

"Stepping out of your comfort zone for personal growth" is not a new revelation by any means.  It has been said over and over again by many famous and successful people such as Brian Tracy, "Move out of your comfort zone.  You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new."  But today, the analogy of building muscle to building mental/spiritual growth really hit home for me.  Here is why:

To build muscle you have to progressively overload.  You must push the muscle to its limits or to fatigue by the last repetition.  In doing so, the muscle fibers tear or break down.  Technically, you become weaker while you are actually lifting.  While you rest is when the muscle fibers rebuild and become stronger than before in preparation for the anticipated demand or workout.  The key to building strength is to break down the muscle fibers with progressive overload of the targeted muscle.

I believe the same process happens for mental/spiritual growth.  Although, I don't believe it is necessary to "overload" or push yourself to "fatigue" in order to grow, I do believe you must move out of your comfort zone.  To do this, there is a breaking down, just like in the muscle, that must occur in order to become stronger in who you truly are  -- a magnificent expression of the Divine!  The "breaking down" is often needed in your belief systems or patterns that hold you back.  So how do you change these beliefs or patterns that hold you back from expressing your divine magnificence and rebuild new ones?

First of all, you must become aware of these beliefs or patterns.  Awareness is monumental for growth and positive change.  The surest way to obtain awareness is to spend quiet time with your Self - your Soul!  Find a spiritual practice or a form of meditation that quiets the mind chatter and allows you to listen to the gentle voice within.  It will always reveal to you the truth and provides divine guidance which empowers your life.  Then you must choose to act upon this guidance by stepping out of your comfort zone.  Even  though you know it won't be easy at first, you'll be shaky, uncertain of your ability to perform and probably frustrated at times.  But you also must know there are wonderful rewards and gratifications by pushing yourself forward with courage and discipline.  You will experience tremendous growth, expansion and become stronger mentally and spiritually; living a life of joy, passion and purpose.  This also greatly affects those around you in a positive way which is so desperately needed for the well-being of the world.

You are a divine expression of your Creator.  You have unique talents and gifts that only you can deliver in your own special way.  Do not underestimate the power that God has given you and the effect or difference it makes in your own life and in the lives of others!  Growth does not occur by settling or being comfortable with the status quo.  You must step out of your comfort zone with all of its awkwardness and doubts.  The rewards that follow are so worth the effort; a life full of joy, passion and purpose!  I know what I must do next and I am ready.  How about you?

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Denna J. Shelton, Copyright 2012

I AM... Love, Gem #7

"The most important thing in life is to learn to give out love and to let it come in." ~ Morrie Schwartz


Everything and everyone is a component of Divine Love. Each person you come into contact with is either giving love to you or asking for love from you. Be aware of the "love flow" factor: the amount of love coming in versus the amount of love going out, and then seek to balance the flow of love in all of your relationships.

When you act in loving ways toward yourself and others, you are expressing your true self--Love. When others demonstrate kindness to you, they are acting according to who they truly are. The opposite is also true. When we do not act in loving ways toward ourselves and others, we have fogotten that we are Love.

If you detect a weak flow of love, check to see if you are holding onto anger or resentment. Releasing the anger and forgiving yourself or others will create the flow of love you both desire.

Remember... You are Love!


Affirmation:  I AM... Love. I openly receive and give Love. I love myself and others. My love is unconditional. Love flows freely in my life.  I AM... Love.

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Choose Joy or Chase It

"Joy does not simply happen to us.  We have to choose joy and keep choosing it everyday." ~Henri Nouwen

Life is in the living and here in this exact moment is our golden opportunity to experience unadulterated JOY! You can either choose joy or chase it!

If we think joy lives outside of ourselves, we will constantly be on its hunt or thinking it is a reward for something we have earned. (Whew, we exhaust ourselves in the pursuit of joy!) If, however, we know joy is inside of ourselves, we can choose it at any given moment. We can make the deliberate decision that this moment, this day, this week will be joyous.

Set your intention at this very moment to let today be more joyous than you ever thought possible. Quit dwelling on the past, stop worrying about the future and be present in the moment. "Present" in the English language means "now", "here" and a "gift." The more present you are in each moment, the more joy you will find. Joy is where you are! Be present and choose JOY!


Affirmation: I AM... Joy! I let go of all worry. I release all despair. I feel happy and carefree. I AM... Joy!

A Balancing Act in...

 Body, Mind, and Spirit

"The key to keeping your balance is knowing when you've lost it." ~unknown


Why is it important to strive for balance?

We are physical, mental and spiritual beings. One component builds upon the other. They are sequential as well as simultaneous meaning that you must pay attention to all three to sustain a life of outstanding performance, health and joy! There must be a balance between analytical processes, love & creativity, and action to be in full expression of who you are as an individual contributing to the whole.

We spend an ornate amount of time in analytical thinking and most of it negative. We are bombarded more than ever with negative information in regard to what is happening with the economy, the threats at home and abroad, the environment and education. We must make daily choices for our own well-being to neutralize all the negative information and rapid changes happening on our planet. We can no longer ignore the cry of our Soul. It is in need of deep nourishment. Without it, it will be extremely difficult or even impossible to adjust and survive in these challenging times.


How do you know when you have become imbalanced?

Listen to your body. It will tell you! The imbalance can show up as headaches, tension and stiffness in the muscles or more seriously, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, older biological age, etc. There are many schools of thought that all dis-ease is a result of an imbalance within the three components of who we are.

Listen to your emotions. They will tell you! Are you having frequent feelings of despair, hopelessness, lack of enthusiasm, or excessive anger, anxiety or depression?

Many have come to believe that these conditions are our natural state – a normal part of life! I disagree. We are here to experience a life of passion, enthusiasm and ultimate health.

What can we do to create a balance in Mind, Body, & Spirit?

Let’s begin with the physical aspect:   Move your body!  Find the exercise that you enjoy whether it’s swimming, hiking, tennis, aerobic dance, yoga, power walking, belly dancing, whatever….just move! You must move and stretch to stay strong and flexible. Effective action is very difficult if you are not feeling well physically. If you lack energy and vitality to enjoy life to the fullest, then even meditation or prayer becomes a struggle. A spiritual person without a healthy physical body is out of balance.

Secondly, let me address the mind, emotions and spirit together.  Turn off the TV, radio, and push away from the computer! Spend time in quiet reflection or meditation. Meditation is the foremost balancing technique in human experience! It quiets all the analytical thinking and puts you in touch with  the fruits of the Spirit:  joy, peace, harmony and love. It nurtures your Soul. In the silence, truth and wisdom is revealed to you. It heightens your awareness and you become more integrated as a whole in mind, body & spirit therefore expressing & experiencing yourself more fully.

Find the meditation technique that you enjoy!  There are so many to choose from such as journey meditation combining imagery and visualization or sounding meditation using repetition of a sound as its focal point, and movement meditation such as yoga or strolling thru nature.  Perhaps breathing meditation focusing on the breath, or  listening to soothing music with closed eyes. Reading from the Holy Bible or some other source of inspiration and quietly reflecting on their words may work for you. The perfect meditation is if ultimately you leave feeling better than when you began!

You are a physical, mental and spiritual being.  By investing time in all aspects of who you are, not only is your life deeply enriched but so are the lives of others.  It is not easy to be balanced and it is impossible to be perfectly balanced all the time.  Always be patient and gentle with yourself in the process of life.  But by being aware of how you are feeling and making conscious choices to be balanced in mind, body, and spirit, the by-products of joy, peace, harmony, love and health are yours.

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I AM... Harmony, Gem #2

"He who lives in harmony with himself lives in harmony with the Universe." - Marcus Aurelilus



As a human, you have freedom to choose.  Your free will allows you to decide what you think about.  There is plenty in the world that is displeasing.  You cannot deny it, but the good news is you can choose to focus on whatever you wish. 

If you focus on discord, negativity or injustice, you will feel separate from God and others.  Your path will be difficult; emotionally, physically and spiritually.  If you focus on that which brings you delight and pleasure, you will see beauty in the world and experience yourself as one with God and all there is.  You will draw more beautiful experiences to you and enhance your overall health.

Know that you are one with all and choose to focus on that which brings harmonious feelings.  Move forward, knowing that you are supported, loved and never alone; no matter what the circumstances.

Affirmation:   I AM... Harmony.  I AM one with all there is.  I see beauty in my world.  I see beauty in myself and others.  I experience my life harmoniously.  I AM... Harmony.

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On Awareness

"Awareness heals." ~ Ezna Bayda



Do unwanted experiences that create pain and suffering continue to show up for you? Would you be open to the concept that Awareness and then the simple act of changing your thoughts about these experiences, could transform them? If so, read on...

There is tremendous power in the Awareness of your thoughts and emotions. It gives you the ability at a moments notice to choose what you wish to experience next. How do you develop this Awareness? Through Meditation! Meditation is the best practice to heighten your Awareness of your thoughts, of your soul and your connection to Spirit. When you live your life from the standpoint of your soul connected to Spirit, your Awareness on a conscience level naturally heightens. You become very aware that you truly are the creator of all of your life's experiences. You know that you will always have the power to choose what you experience next. That you are, indeed, a co-creator with God. It is from my personal meditation that my Awareness continues to become stronger as time marches along. Here is how Awareness has worked for me.

When an experience that has created discomfort in me occurs, I step back from the situation, observe it, and take note. Then I ask myself this: "What do I wish to experience next?" Do I want to have the experience of pain and suffering or do I want to experience peace? It is the deliberate choice that gives me the new experience. For example:

Just this afternoon a lady in my office building misread my actions and took offense to them. She was quite rude in her behavior towards me and stormed out of the building not allowing me to explain my actions. Initially, I did panic and usually, I'd fret and worry all day over something like this. However, though Awareness I became instantly aware of my emotions, stepped back, observed them and chose to experience this differently. I took a few deep breaths and examined my thoughts and my heart. I knew I had no bad intentions in my actions and I certainly did not know what was going on with her. I chose to not take what happened personally! I chose not to have judgment of her, the situation or myself. I then literally surrounded the situation in the brightest Light I could and let it go. The rest of my afternoon was a bright and cheery one!

A word of caution! Be careful not to criticize yourself or think that you should not be feeling a particular way about a situation. Being aware is not denial or suppressing your emotions. It is quite the opposite. You fully experience and observe the feelings that have arisen. You do not judge them! Then through your Awareness, you choose to either continue feeling the way you do or you choose new thoughts and therefore new feelings and hence a new experience. There is power in Awareness. Awareness heals. You are a powerful co-creator with God. Through meditation and connecting your soul with Spirit, you become fully aware of this loving power!

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I AM... Enough, Gem #18

"Discouragement is not the absence of adequacy but the absence of courage." ~Neal Maxwell




Know that you’re more than enough just as you are. There is nothing you have to prove to yourself or anyone else to claim your worthiness.  You were created in the image of God, the I AM with your own individual expression and unique gifts.


Your own personal gifts are enough! It does not matter what gifts others have. Focus on yours! You have everything you need within you to create a purposeful and rich life.

What undue pressures you put upon yourself! Do your best each day and know it is enough. Some days your best may seem better than others. Knowing you are enough does not have to be based on how much is accomplished on a daily basis.  Each day you are enough. When you remind yourself of this, you will feel confident and self-assured. You will feel lighter and more joyous! Those around you will sense your joy and will feel more joyous themselves.

You are enough -- own it, believe it, and live it!

Affirmation:

I AM… Enough. I have special gifts. My life has purpose and meaning. My best is enough. I release undue pressures. I exude confidence and grace.  I AM… Enough.

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                                                     Copyright 2011 Denna J. Shelton