What does getting out of your comfort zone mean? Why is this so important?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance<\/a><\/em>, Robert Pirsig<\/a> explains that discomfort is relative. He says that learning to live with discomfort and getting out of your comfort zone will improve your life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read more about Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance<\/em> and getting out of your comfort zone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n The idea of getting out of your comfort zone is discussed in the chautauqua about discomfort. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Pirsig\u2019s argument for Sylvia\u2019s joining them is that discomfort matters \u201conly when the mood is wrong.\u201d That is, if you\u2019re already out of sorts\u2014perhaps because you don\u2019t want to be traveling\u2014then discomfort assumes outsize importance. But if you\u2019re happy to be traveling, whether because of the scenery or the company, then discomfort doesn\u2019t bother so much<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Presently Pirsig spots a storm on the horizon. If it\u2019s a cold front, the storm will be intense but short; if it\u2019s a warm front, the bad weather could last for days. This is why getting out of your comfort zone is so important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pirsig recalls a past motorcycle trip\u2014to Canada\u2014with Chris when they endured a warm front. After a soggy night, during which water leaked into their tent and soaked their sleeping bags, they get caught in a particularly dangerous storm. With lightning striking around them, their motorcycle suddenly stops working. They sputter into a gas station, and Pirsig tries to diagnose the problem (at the time, he was like John\u2014ignorant of motorcycle maintenance). He sees gas sloshing around, checks the engine parts\u2014all looks good\u2014but the motorcycle still won\u2019t run. Eventually he\u2019s forced to abandon the trip, much to Chris\u2019s disappointment. Two weeks later, Pirsig has another look at the motorcycle to figure out what went wrong. He discovers the tank was out of gas\u2014the sloshing he heard was the reserve<\/em> tank, which he\u2019d never turned on. He still kicks himself for this oversight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n John signs for Pirsig to stop and informs him that they\u2019ve missed their turn. Rather than double back, they decide to press on. Once they\u2019re back on the road, Pirsig\u2019s anxiety ratchets up\u2014he doesn\u2019t know how he missed the turn, and he\u2019s also forgotten to tell John and Sylvia about the storm. In preparation for what\u2019s on the horizon\u2014literally\u2014Pirsig checks his motorcycle\u2019s engine temperature with his hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pirsig\u2019s motorcycle, which is air-cooled, has a history of \u201cseizing\u201d\u2014this is when the pistons expand from too much heat and lock the engine, sending the cycle into a skid. He reveals that the cycle he\u2019s riding has seized three times before.<\/p>\n\n\n\nGetting Out of Your Comfort Zone: The Chautauqua<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Discomfort Is Relative<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Be Careful of Assumptions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Care for What You Do<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n