What Not to Wear and the Plague of Comfy

Are you stuck in Comfort Zone Quicksand?

Truth time. I used to be addicted to the show What Not To Wear. I watched every single episode, multiple times, and dreamed of the day that Stacey London would come to my house, rip my closet apart, donate all of my clothes to charity and then take me on a whirlwind shopping spree, teaching me how to look and feel amazing.

Sadly, the show ended before Stacey could hear my pleas of baggy in the ass jeans and socks with animals on them (my pants fit better these days but I will never give up my socks). Even though I never got the makeover treatment, I was able to learn a lot from the show. Not just how to minimize my tummy or what colors to wear to create visual interest, I learned about the worst four letter word in the English language… comfortable.

Ewww. I can’t control the shudder as I type. Whenever a show participant would defend an article of clothing with the argument of “But it’s comfy”, Stacey would get pissed! Why? Because “comfortable” doesn’t mean it’s right, it doesn’t mean it improves the situation, it doesn’t mean that it has any redeemable qualities, it just means that you are too damn scared to change.

Harsh? Is it though? I’ve been comfortable in relationships, in jobs, and in a Deftones hoodie that was starting to get threadbare. I wasn’t happy. The relationships eroded my self confidence, the jobs kept me from recognizing my true potential (both emotional and earning), and the hoodie… well let’s just say that I probably would’ve been better off if I looked a bit less homeless.

Comfortable is not a testament to how happy or satisfied you are with your life. Comfortable is just the first stop on the spectrum of pain. It’s not right, it’s just not painful enough that you want to make a change. Whether it’s staying with a partner that you know is wrong for you, or staying in a job that doesn’t require your full abilities, comfortable is a trap that we get stuck in. It’s like quicksand. We start out with one toe in and before we know it, we are sinking further and further.

Are you drowning in comfort zone quicksand? Are there changes in your life that you know you should make, but you don’t because “it’s comfy” or “it’s good enough”? I would love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below.