I have become comfortably numb

Life is like a visit to the dentist's office. Sometimes, you've done everything right, and you're out the door smiling. Other times, you have to endure stressful situations that either cause you pain or make you numb.

You're feeling me, I can tell. You know what I'm talking about.

For example, as I write this post, half of my face is frozen after getting a couple of cavities filled. Seriously, I am a grown-up. There is no excuse for me having cavities...except for the half-sugar/half-trans fat diet I am on.

But even then, that is not an excuse. That is merely a cause, brought on by other effects.

Life is full of stressful situations, and sometimes we have to face them every single day. And that's not cool.

But, it's up to each one of us to decide how we deal with those situations: whether we let them cause us pain, whether they make us numb...or whether we choose an entirely different route.

I'm a lifelong pessimist. My glass has never been half-full (although that may be because my brother drank out of it when I wasn't looking). So it's hard for me to see the sunny side of things at times.

But lately, I'm trying on this "sunny side up" thing. And I mean, really lately; as in, this started yesterday. I know you're saying, "Yesterday? Yeah, that ain't gonna last. She crazy."

And you wouldn't be too far off the mark. It's new to me to really look at the positive side of things, and while it feels much better overall, it also goes against my internal character. And I'm all about the comfortable things. First thing I do when I walk in the door at night? Put on sweatpants or jammie pants.

Comfort = Important.

If you've ever tried to get out of your comfort zone, and I mean reallllly pushed yourself out of it, you know how hard a process it can be.

But it's also satisfying. And rewarding. And unbelievably exhilarating.

Some time ago, I went wayyyyyyy outside my comfort zone and allowed a certain someone to get closer to me. We became very good friends, and then dated for a bit, but it didn't work out. My walls went back up, this time with bricks and mortar; wasn't letting anyone get close to me ever again.

Years later, this certain someone came back into my life and things were different. We both had different outlooks and expectations than we'd had before. It was very uncomfortable for both of us to express what we were thinking, but we were open and honest with each other right from the start.

And we're now incredibly happy together. I found someone who loves me for who I am, and I love him just as much for the wonderful person that he is.

And that, my friends, is one of the biggest rewards you can hope for.

So, I'm looking for that kind of rewarding feeling in all areas of my life. I'm being greedy. I want it all. And I know that the first step to getting that feeling is to look for the positives.

I know it's not going to be easy. My comfort zone is trying to talk me out of it as we speak. "Come back to the couch," it seductively whispers. "Indulge in another piece of sweet, luscious chocolate while you watch your beloved TV."

I have a fight ahead of me. And I'm not much for confrontations, so this should be interesting. But I'm ready to give it a try. One huge motivator for me is my support system. I already came equipped with one, and just keep adding to it, so that's a real bonus for my plan.

I encourage everyone to try a little somethin' outside your comfort zone. It may cause you pain or a numbing sensation...or it may be the single biggest thrill of your life.

Only your dentist will know for sure.