BEYOND THE COMFORT ZONE Rewards await
those willing to
reach
beyond, beneath, below,
deep down, higher and higher,
over and under, out and within, and
over and over again and again.
Lula Morton Drewes, Ph.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
and Wellness Coach
LEARNING TO REACH
BEYOND THE COMFORT ZONE:
A WELLNESS PROGRAM
Answers to life's puzzles and problems are as certain as the gold buried deep within the earth. Yet, just as golden nuggets seldom fall into our laps, finding solutions to life's perplexing questions and problems requires work - digging, searching, reaching. With the "pain" of effort, however, comes "gain"�. Like the miner who, with practice, learns more and more how to spot and mine for treasures, people too can learn to better tap the treasures within themselves
and in the outside world which hold the answers to their search for greater personal peace
and power.
Achieve greater peace and power by learning when to let go and when to hold on tight.
OLD DREAMS, NEW HOPES:
Far, Far from Home
by Lula Morton Drewes, Ph.D.
It’s that time of year again! It is the time when many of us reflect on the year coming to an end and contemplate changes we would like to see in the new year. Most of us will quickly forget the resolutions with which we so proudly started the new year, but no matter. It is the process which is important – one of those periodic pauses to check and reflect which we have been talking about. One of my favorite resolutions this year involves the decision to introduce you to one of my special friends – Papa Eze. Let me start by telling you about some of his old dreams and new hopes, which especially those of you far from home might identify with.
Papa Eze had started his reflections long before the old year came to an end, and made his resolutions well before the new year showed its face. It was time, he resolved; it was time for a dramatic change.
Papa Eze had not gotten his name back in Africa from being a father. No, it was the father-like qualities which he had demonstrated early on as a child which had led his family to call him “papa” well before he was ready to step into such a weighty role. He had been the one who seemed wise beyond his years, the one who took the lead in work or play, and the one who stood tall and firm in the face of crisis. It had been his coming to the rescue of a brother in crisis that had brought him to the place where he knew deep in his belly that it was time for a change.
Almost four years ago it was now that Papa Eze had let himself be convinced that it was a good idea and a good time for a new adventure. Yet, he had not joined the ranks of the adventurers seeking the thrill of the new and unknown and the excitement of setting new records. Papa Eze belonged to a new group of adventurers; those whose journeys were more often motivated by hunger and which often ended tragically before they had hardly begun. He belonged to the group often referred to as the “third-world poor”; the people willing to take any risk and to take on any menial task which promised a way out of empty days and empty pockets.
Like many others, Papa Eze had left home with high hopes for the land where it was said the streets were paved with gold. There had been no painful leave-taking from mother or father. Both had departed through death many years ago. There had been no children to say “papa don’t go”, and his wife was used to deferring to his wishes even when they seemed foolish to her. But, his heart seemed to tear apart when he said good-bye to his wife and his sisters and brothers. He, however, easily left his material possessions knowing that there would be many more to come.
When he arrived in “the land of milk and honey”, he was surprised to find that the streets were paved with the same dull asphalt as the streets of his home city. There were many more beautiful and imposing buildings, and many more lights. The lights, however, blinded him, and the buildings were so tall that they blocked the light of the sun. It was a joy indeed to be reunited with his junior brother who had been away from home for so long. But, where were the riches? What were these words of hardship beyond description, and daily struggles to survive which were coming from his lips? What were these words from the lips of his junior which implied equal status with him, his senior, and who was this woman at his side who spoke to both of them with what seemed like insufficient deference??
The days and nights were long in this new land – too long for the cold weather and the cold people. They were too long for the struggles to find work and to obtain the official papers which would allow him to freely search for work and with greater hope for success. He realized that he had come to a place where people who looked like him were looked at with suspicion, and where men like him received little respect. The work he did find was exhausting, often dangerous and menial beyond belief. Papa Eze had joined the ranks of those called “illegal immigrants”, and the government of this new county seemed as determined to send him back home as it had been determined to take over his home in years not so long ago.
As the old year neared its end, he found himself lost and lonely in a land far, far from his home. As crowds of people rushed around him with arms full of boxes and bags, he reached deep into his pockets to warm his fingers and hoped to find just a few coins. It was on those cold streets with lights and people brighter than usual in preparation for Christmas celebrations that a decision began to take shape. In the corner of his mind, he too was preparing a celebration – a celebration at home. His walk suddenly took on an old flair as he imagined strolling in old, familiar places where he was showered with rich rays of radiant sunlight wherever his steps took him.
But, how could he return home empty handed? How could he explain his plight to those at home? How could he explain the lack of gold to those who outlined their dire need for assistance in every letter? How could he explain his new status to the people who looked up to him, and who knew him as a strong, proud and reliable man? How could he explain that there was barely enough for him to survive, and that for many, many months now he walked more and ate less in order to save enough money to pay for his journey home.
Yes!! Papa Eze had decided to exchange old dreams for new hopes. Unlike those of his brothers and sisters who continued to hope for miracles and mercy while they kept their heads bowed and hid in the shadows, he had decided to return home. He had decided to let go, and to let come what may. He would stand tall and face the shame of returning home with empty hands for his heart would be full of joy at being in a place where he could lift his head to the sun without impediment. With hope in his heart for a new beginning and faith that as this door closed another would open, he welcomed the beginning of this new year, and gave thanks for dirt roads and buildings of mud and straw.
A Reach Challenge
Reach beyond your comfort zone. Reach beyond what comes easy and automatic to do some serious reflection as this new year begins. What would a gentle, nonjudgmental look at your hopes and dreams show? What challenges face you? What old dreams are waiting for new life? Which old dreams do you need to let go of in order to allow space for new ones? What dead horses have you been desperately trying to bring back to life? What old or new hopes are waiting in the shadows for your attention and your faith?
Words Of Wisdom
A New Year Dawns
As the new year dawns,
we bow our heads in
old, familiar places,
and we pray. . .
for new dreams,
for old worries,
for old worries wrapped in new hope,
as the new year dawns.Lula Morton Drewes, Ph.D.
Reach To Believe:
Something wonderful is about to happen!!!!!!Belleruth Naprastek
Audiotape: Rheumatoid Arthritis or Lupus
Time Warner Audiobooks
Wishing you peace and power, and the courage to reach!!!
MUCH HEALTH AND HAPPINESS TO YOU IN THIS NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lula Morton Drewes, Ph.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Wellness Coach
Copyright © 2008 Lula Morton Drewes, Ph.D. All rights in all media reserved.
