Shootin' it Straight - Kenny Loggins Time (Free Access)

Very few, if any, of us like changes in our routines. We like to be comfortable in our jobs, our schedules, and with the people we associate with. Starting a new job brings a sense of anxiety. Meeting new people can require shedding our old skin. Even minor changes, such as driving a borrowed vehicle with unfamiliar controls, can frustrate us. I would argue that we've become too at ease. The modern luxury of life has made us soft, to the point of dulling our ability to learn.
Kenny Loggins had a career-defining hit with his contribution to the Top Gun soundtrack. His song, Danger Zone, tied in nicely with the image of a rebellious pilot pushing things to the limit regularly. In our lives, how many times have we pushed ourselves to the limit? How often do we tackle something that scares us? We need to be spooked on occasion. We should make it a distinct point to learn something outside of our comfort zone. Train harder. Pick up a new skill. We should ride that bike that spooks us while we still can. Learn a new manual of arms. Tackle a chore around the house that you would normally hire out. There are a million ways to sharpen ourselves, but we too often fall into familiar routines that are well within our boundaries, shortchanging ourselves.
There is a freedom that comes with pushing ourselves. Every chance we take to push it into "The Danger Zone" generally results in learning something new. I speak for myself when I say my toolbox is certainly not filled to the brim. There are far more skills to learn, new areas to explore, and more knowledge to delve into. We tend to expand our boundaries until we reach a comfortable coasting zone, then reside there for the bulk of our lives. There is plenty of room for growth; we just need to push.