Are you in the comfort zone?
Dare to Jump...
I am bringing today an amazing story that will change your perspective about daring and taking a risk.
Listen and read along here:
The story goes like this…
There is a Zen master and his disciple walking across the mountains in the far East. They are going back to their monastery from a mission and it is a very hot day.
The disciple tells the master:
I am so thirsty and we have run out of water. I cannot even see a river where I can get water from…there is a house down there…would you mind if I go and knock at that house and ask for a bit of water?
The master nods in approval and the disciple approaches the house.
It was a really old and poor looking house and a man, very humbly dressed, opens the door.
Hello, good man, we are on our way back to the monastery but we have run out of water, would you be so kind as to give me a glass of water, please?
The man looks at him and says:
I am so sorry but we don’t even have drinking water ourselves right now. We need to walk a very long distance every day in order to bring it here. But I can offer you a glass of fresh milk from our cow as we get it every day without fail.
The disciple accepts and drinks the milk feeling very refreshed and, when he finishes says:
How can I pay you for this, you are so kind, thank you very much.
The man says:
Oh no problem at all, just carry on your journey and pray for us when you have a chance.
The disciple gets back to the master and tells him how he can thank that man for what he’s done. They are living under these poor conditions in this wrecked house and yet, he’s offered me the only thing they really have of value.
I would really love to help him but I don’t know how.
OK - says the master - let’s then thank him for that, come with me.
They walk to the rear of the house where the cow is and the master tells the disciple:
Let’s make the cow walk to that cliff over there.
The disciple, unable to question the master, looks puzzled to him and says:
But master…
Shush, do you really want to help that man?
Yes, I do but the cow is going to…
Said and done. They both push the cow down the cliff and, obviously, the cow dies.
The trip of Guilt
The master then says:
Perfect, now you have helped this family as you wanted. Let’s carry on our journey.
The disciple is so confused that is not able to articulate any more words so they continue.
The rest of the journey is a torture for the disciple who, in his head, is constantly questioning whether he should have listened to the master in that occasion. He can not get his head around what has just happened. Just cannot understand.
They finally arrive. Eat in silence and go to sleep. The disciple could not sleep thinking about it.
“I should have not obeyed him, that did not make any sense. Why did I do that…why didn’t I speak out.”
Time goes by, years…and one day the master dies so he becomes the new master of the monastery.
He always tells his disciples how they have to help those who help you and never do anything that can harm them.
One day he cannot bear the guilt anymore and goes back to that place when the humble man and his family lived with the cow.
He walks for days but when he arrives, he cannot find the miserable house, instead, there is a massive house made of concrete which, at the time, was a sign of opulence.
He is really confused.
The house has a barn full of animals, they have a field with vegetables, hens running around…it looks like the house of wealthy people so, deeply stunned, he knocks at the door to find out.
A man opens the door and he says:
Hi, I am looking for the family who lived here a few years ago. They were really poor and had a bunch of kids and a cow. I really need to talk to them but I cannot find them, can you help me?
Oh - the man says - we are that family, we have always lived here.
But,...what…that family was really poor…
Oh yes - the man says - there was a time when we were extremely poor and only had one cow that gave us milk.
But one day, a young man passed by and asked for a glass of water. As we did not have any, I offered him a glass of milk that he drank. Then he left and never saw him again.
However, something really strange happened and instead of expressing his gratitude for the milk, he threw our cow down the cliff.
So we had then to decide what to do next and with the cow carcass we ate a little of it, then we salted another bit of meat to preserve and with the rest, we sold it in the village.
Also my wife learnt to make leather bags with the skin and we use the hoofs to make decorative ornaments and with all the money we earned we bought 4 cows, 2 sheep and 4 hens and then, from there, we kept doing other things and progressing to this point where we have much more than we need and live very comfortably.
I wish I could find that young man now to thank him for what he did, otherwise we would still be as poor as before.
The comfort zone
That is what nowadays is known as the “comfort zone”.
That poor family was just settled in there with their cow and avoiding taking any risks or stepping into the unknown.
It was just what they knew for certain, that they’d have fresh milk everyday…at least but, in fact, that was a really uncomfortable situation. Known and familiar but miserable.
There is a big difference between being comfortable and being in the comfort zone.
Facing your fears and stepping out of the comfort zone, in whatever situation, can be a relationship, a job, or simply some personal habit or addiction… is the solution to most problems.
If you don’t have a thirsty disciple knocking at your door…maybe it is time for you to throw your own cow down the cliff?
Think about it.