有些人是天生的冒險家，他們是第一個嘗試跳傘或高空彈跳的人；他們研究餐廳菜單，搜尋幾乎沒有人點過的特別餐點。他們沒有選擇在大公司穩穩工作，而是在沒有成功保證的情況下獨自冒險，勇於追求自己的夢想，不讓自己的人生留下遺憾。

我很佩服這樣的人。因為我一生大部分的時間都選擇自己認為安全可靠的路：通常是阻力和壓力最小的路，做謹慎的決定，選擇留在舒適的地方。但是，我最獲益良多的經驗多半發生在我願意冒險，踏出自己舒適圈的時候。

最近一位演講者提醒了我這一點。他談到「舒適圈盡頭的生活」可能會是：願意考慮新的、甚至挑戰現有觀點和理解的想法。例如，願意在最喜歡的餐廳嘗試不同的餐點，甚至是踏進一個新的、不尋常的餐廳！

在我的職業生涯中，我最有價值的成就多半都發生在我的舒適圈之外：冒著被拒絕的風險，第一次投稿文章到雜誌社；第一次和別人合作寫書；離開穩定的收入，加入一個全額自籌經費的宣教事工；帶著羞怯的天性，公開演講。

挑戰靈性上的新事物對我而言也是如此。我記得在執行CBMC的訓練計劃「提摩太行動」時，我請一位好朋友作我的靈性導師，但他建議我說：「你怎麼不在提摩太行動中帶領門徒呢？」雖然當時我還沒準備好要幫助別人靈性成長，但後來我發現這是我所有的經歷中最充實的。在這個過程中，我發現成長最快的人是……我自己。

在屬靈層面的意義上，走出舒適圈的最佳案例就是把我們的生命交給耶穌基督。這不只是為了死後的永生，也是為了死亡之前的生活，包含工作。當我們根據聖經的原則經營企業或工作，尤其是在我們的做法和世界不同時，我們就是要離開舒適圈冒險了。以下是聖經的一些原則：

當你的競爭對手唾棄正直，你依然要抓住誠信。在競爭激烈的世界中生活和工作，很容易就會受到人云亦云的誘惑。但是，上帝的標準往往是非常不同的。拒絕隨波逐流需要信心。「行正直路的，步步安穩；走彎曲道的，必致敗露。」（箴言10章9節）

在想不通時仍然相信上帝。有些無法理解的狀況會讓我們措手不及，不知道如何解決。通常這都是上帝用來教導我們走出舒適圈，在祂裡面得著平安的契機。「你不要害怕，因為我與你同在；不要驚惶，因為我是你的　神。我必堅固你，我必幫助你；我必用我公義的右手扶持你。」（以賽亞書41章10節）

© 2019. Robert J. Tamasy 是企業巔峰: 給今日職場從箴言而來永恆的智慧 一書的作者。也與導師之心的作者David A. Stoddard 合著Tufting Legacies。編輯多本著作包括Mike Landry. Bob的書: 透過苦難成長。Mike Landry. Bob的網站為www.bobtamasy-readywriterink.com, 他的雙週部落格為: www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com

反省與問題討論

1. 你是一個冒險家，渴望嶄新、具有挑戰性的事物嗎？或者你更喜歡在個人和工作中的個人舒適圈裡過活？請解釋你的答案。
2. 你覺得為什麼我們大多數人都認為「舒適圈」如此吸引人？
3. 請舉例說明你願意——或是被迫——走出自己舒適圈的經驗。當時的情況如何，結果又如何？當時的經歷從那時開始對你有何影響？
4. 你認為要真正信靠上帝，憑著在耶穌基督裡的信心做事，必須冒險多次遠離我們的舒適圈嗎？請解釋分享你的答案。

備註：如果你手上有聖經，希望閱讀更多和這個主題相關的訊息，請參考下面的經文：

詩篇1篇1-6節
1:1 不從惡人的計謀，不站罪人的道路，不坐褻慢人的座位，
1:2 惟喜愛耶和華的律法，晝夜思想，這人便為有福！
1:3 他要像一棵樹栽在溪水旁，按時候結果子，葉子也不枯乾。凡他所做的盡都順利。
1:4 惡人並不是這樣，乃像糠秕被風吹散。
1:5 因此，當審判的時候，惡人必站立不住；罪人在義人的會中也是如此。
1:6 因為耶和華知道義人的道路；惡人的道路卻必滅亡。

箴言3章5-6節
3:5 你要專心仰賴耶和華，不可倚靠自己的聰明，
3:6 在你一切所行的事上都要認定他，他必指引你的路。

箴言16章3節
16:3 你所做的，要交託耶和華，你所謀的，就必成立。

箴言16章9節
16:9人心籌算自己的道路；惟耶和華指引他的腳步。

箴言23章23節
23:23 你當買真理；就是智慧、訓誨，和聰明也都不可賣。

以賽亞書26章3節
26:3 堅心倚賴你的，你必保守他十分平安，因為他倚靠你。

以賽亞書40：27-31
40:27雅各啊，你為何說，我的道路向耶和華隱藏？以色列啊，你為何言，我的冤屈神並不查問？
40:28你豈不曾知道嗎？你豈不曾聽見嗎？永在的神耶和華，創造地極的主，並不疲乏，也不困倦；他的智慧無法測度。
40:29疲乏的，他賜能力；軟弱的，他加力量。
40:30就是少年人也要疲乏困倦；強壯的也必全然跌倒。
40:31但那等候耶和華的必從新得力。他們必如鷹展翅上騰；他們奔跑卻不困倦，行走卻不疲乏。

耶利米書29章11節
29:11 耶和華說：我知道我向你們所懷的意念是賜平安的意念，不是降災禍的意念，要叫你們末後有指望。
 

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LIFE AT THE END OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE

By Robert J. Tamasy

Some people are natural risk-takers. They are the first ones to try skydiving or bungee jumping. They study a restaurant menu and search for the unusual selection, the exotic concoction few people ever order. Rather than opt for the security of a job with an established company, they venture out on their own without assurance of success but certain they don’t want the regret of not pursuing their dream.

I admire people like that. Because I have spent much of my life choosing what I perceived to be the safe and secure course, often the path of least resistance and stress. Making cautious, carefully considered decisions. Electing to stay with what felt comfortable. However, many of my most rewarding experiences have come when I have been willing to venture beyond my comfort zone.

A speaker reminded me of this recently when he talked about “life at the end of your comfort zone.” This can mean many things: the willingness to consider new ideas, even ones that challenge your accepted views and understanding. Being willing to forgo your standard choice at your favorite restaurant to try something different – or even trying a new, unusual restaurant!

Over my career, many of my most rewarding accomplishments have come at the end of my personal comfort zone: Attempting to submit a magazine article for the first time, risking rejection; collaborating with someone in writing a book for the first time; leaving the security of a guaranteed income to join a ministry that required me to raise all of my financial support; agreeing to speak publicly despite my natural shyness.

Spiritually it has been much the same for me. I remember learning about CBMC’s discipling program, “Operation Timothy.” I asked a good friend to take me through it as a mentor, but he recommended, “Why don’t you find someone that you can take through Operation Timothy, instead?” Even though I did not feel very prepared for helping someone else grow spiritually, I discovered that experience among the most fulfilling I have ever had. And in the process, I found the person who grew the most rapidly was…me.

The greatest example of moving past the end of our comfort zone, spiritually speaking, is committing our life to Jesus Christ, not only for the hope of life after death, but also for life before death – including in the workplace. Operating a business, or carrying out our job responsibilities, according to biblical principles, especially when it runs counter to the practices of our peers, definitely takes us out of our comfort zone. Here are just a couple of things the Bible says about that:

Clinging to integrity when competitors do not. Living and working in a competitive world, it seems easy to yield to the temptation to act the same as everyone else does. God’s standard, however, is often very different. It requires faith not to do as everyone else is doing. “The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out” (Proverbs 10:9).

Trusting God when circumstances do not make sense. Situations arise that take us off guard, ones we cannot comprehend and don’t know how to resolve. Often these are occasions God uses for teaching us to live outside our comfort zones – and instead, find our comfort in Him. “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).

© 2019. Robert J. Tamasy has written Business at Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Today’s Workplace; Tufting Legacies; coauthored with David A. Stoddard, The Heart of Mentoring, and edited numerous other books, including Advancing Through Adversity by Mike Landry. Bob’s biweekly blog is: www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com.

Reflection/Discussion Questions

1. Are you a risk-taker, eager to test the new and challenging? Or do you prefer to operate within your personal comfort zone, both in your personal and professional life? Explain your answer.
2. Why do you think most of us find the “comfort zone” so attractive?
3. Give an example of a time you willingly stepped beyond your comfort zone – or were forced to do so? What were the circumstances, and the results? How has that experience affected you since then?
4. Do you think that truly trusting in God, acting according to faith in Jesus Christ, requires us to venture far outside of our comfort zones – maybe even many times? Why or why not?

NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more about principles it presents, consider the following passages: Psalm 1:1-6; Proverbs 3:5-6, 16:3,9, 23:23; Isaiah 26:3, 40:27¬-31; Jeremiah 29:11

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