Limitations and the comfort zone

Limitations are a natural attribute of the material world we are living in. Everything is limited by definitions of form, weight, volume, measures, colour, by quantity and quality, etc.  This is normal.

We human beings are also limited in many ways, in our actions, behavior, emotions, thoughts, etc. This is quite normal too. But in contrary to other beings, like animals for example, we are able to expand our limitations, – we can grow in a diversity of aspects. This is done by a process of learning and training of new abilities, new ways of thinking, feeling and behaving. We can learn, grow and change, – transform.

Let´s take a small example. Imagine you are a normal person, sitting most of the time at the PC in the office. You walk maybe 100 meters at once per day. This is your comfort zone, where everything is okay. But there are other people who feel good with taking a walk of 4 miles in the forest. This is their comfort zone. Then there are people from the army who have no problems to walk 20 miles or more with heavy equipment. This is their comfort zone. And then there are athletes who run 42 km as a marathon and survive. And then there are extreme athletes who run a marathon up a mountain and survive. And at last there are more extreme athletes who run a double marathon – 100 km. So in fact you can ask “Where are the limitations of a human being?”

And you can find this amazing range of expanding limitations everywhere. There are people with a very high degree of intelligence, with high degrees of love, empathy, with amazing abilities, talents and in fact spiritual training can give you everything you need to develop, to unfold your brilliant nature to highest degrees. Imagine this!

So in conclusion we can say that limitations are natural attribute of the material world, that it is also normal to have limitations as a human being and that we are able to expand these limitations.

Furthermore limitations have a special function. They define zones of security, of feeling comfortable, of the known world and field of thinking, feeling and action. Maybe you know these stories where someone is asked about his life and he says “Oh, I have never left my village. You know, my forefathers lived here, my grandparents, my parents, all my friends. No one has ever left the village. There was no need as we have everything for life. The village is very small but there is no reason to go beyond its borders. Why should we do this? We do not know what is waiting outside. It can be dangerous.” “But didn´t you know that only half a mile from your village is a wonderful lake with a lot of fish?” “No, no, how should we discover this?” And so on…

This is just a small example. The village is the well-known, secure comfort zone for the citizens. Beyond the borders there is the unknown and everything which is unknown is potential dangerous and this causes fears and fears stop you from making discoveries.

In fact everyone has his own small village, – his area of action and it feels dangerous to leave this well-known world to take adventures and to make new discoveries, new experiences, good ones and bad ones. Beyond the borders there are always good and bad things waiting and you must show courage to face them.

Indeed you have two options, – you stay in your comfort zone where you feel more or less good but maybe also bored or you expand your field in smaller or bigger steps which takes much energy and positive abilities, also positive characteristics, – and then you can win something new or you have to fight your way through obstacles, stand bad things but in all cases you have made new experiences and you have grown.

In fact life often gives you a kick in the butt and forces you to expand your field of action, of thinking, feeling and behavior. You are often forced to jump in at the deep end. And then you start swimming until a certain level of balance is reached again.

In former times there were a lot of adventurers who discovered new and dangerous continents, who fought themselves through the jungle of South America and Africa, facing unknown diseases, dangerous animals and natives.

But throughout the history of mankind the most challenging expanding of limitations has been the spiritual initiation, – the spiritual development and training.

There is nothing which is more challenging, more unknown, more dangerous, more mind-blowing than to undergo the spiritual transformation process with all the traps along the narrow, rocky path, with the abyss at both sides, up the mountain.

And here nothing else helps than to trust in yourself, in God, in the path itself, to have a strong will, much power, a smart spirit and at last to make the first step so that further steps will follow. Bardon points at this when he speaks about the four pillars of the temple of Solomon. Without these powers, qualities, there is no progress conceivable.

For a spiritual seeker there is no comfort zone to come back as he is permanently expanding his limitations. He is growing permanently, making permanently new experiences. Everything is new, everything has to be processed in his mind and soul, has to be digested.

Only in the higher and highest steps of initiation, of unity with God and the divine powers and virtues, only then you get back into a comfort zone, the divine comfort zone which includes the whole creation. You have realized highest knowledge. You know God, you know yourself, you know creation and you have realized “heaven” in yourself, the divine nature.

The wise spiritual seeker always knows when it is good to set limitations to keep his health and when it is the right time to expand his limitations for making useful progress.