Expanding Your comfort Zones: The Key to Your Success – Part 2 of 3
Written by Carol Look
In Part 1 of this article on expanding your comfort zones, I discussed and defined comfort zones, how to identify them and how to choose key targets for tapping so you will be able to neutralize these limitations and clear the path for more success in any part of your life.
In the next 2 parts of this series, you will find more questions to help you uncover limiting beliefs followed by tapping guidelines regarding areas of (1) Health, (2) Sports (and artistic performance), (3) Financial Abundance,and (4) Building Your Tapping Practice (and other businesses).
When you identify more limiting beliefs around a certain area of your life, set aside time every day to tap on these beliefs (which support comfort zones) if you want to change the outcome of your business, body, or relationship.
HEALTH
Suppose you have a limitation with your health that you have suffered with for a long time. Is it possible you are living within a comfort zone? Answer the following questions before tapping:
* What was happening in your life right before you were diagnosed or experienced these symptoms for the first time?
* How does it serve you to be limited in this way?
* What would be the downside to getting over this illness/ailment/symptom?
* What do you think your body is trying to tell you through this problem?
* What needs are you getting met by having this illness?
Even though there are all these emotions expressed through this illness, I deeply and completely love and accept myself anyway.
Even though I’m using this ailment to get my needs met, I accept who I am and how I feel.
Even though the anger/fear/guilt/hurt/loss is lodged in my painful back, I accept my feelings and how my body reacted to them.
Even though she told me this illness runs in my family, I accept my feelings and that I am different.
Then imagine yourself without this health challenge — notice how you feel.
* What would change in your relationships?
* Who would ask you to take on more responsibility?
* Would you be disoriented in any way without this problem?
* Who would you “be” without it?
The answers to these questions will reveal some of the comfort zones you have been working within, consciously or unconsciously. When we are asked to or desire to change, our identity issues usually surface. We associate ourselves with our problems and our challenges, and when they are no longer there, we don’t feel like ourselves. Tapping is the best method I have found for changing this discomfort and helping us connect with a new identity congruent with success and health.
Now apply Tapping as follows:
* Even though a part of me does NOT want to let go of this illness (pain, insomnia, diagnosis…), I choose to accept and love myself anyway.
* Even though I feel reluctant to let go of this ailment (skin problem, ache, disorder), I choose to accept all of my body and self.
* Even though I am afraid to change, I deeply and completely love and accept myself anyway.
* Even though I don’t want them to ask me to increase my responsibilities, I accept myself deeply and completely.
While Tapping is not meant to replace adequate medical attention, I highly recommend you apply Tapping to any health problem you have (in addition to following your doctor’s advice) no matter how intractable it seems and no matter what your physician (or the internet) has told you about statistics.
SPORTS PERFORMANCE
You keep saying you want to improve your game, but you have these invisible blocks that are in your way. Until you tap your way free of them, you will stay in the same range of scoring or fitness whether your game is golf, tennis, or ping pong.
You can ask yourself the right questions and apply Tapping to your skill in any sport. But let’s use golf as an easy example. Suppose you consistently shoot under 100, but are interested in improving this score. Use the same method in Part 1 of this article to test your comfort zones.
* Imagine yourself scoring 98 for the first time in your life. Imagine telling people, and hearing their responses, feeling the satisfaction of your new skill. Is there any anxiety that accompanies this new score? What are the Yes, buts, or the reasons why you wouldn’t want to accomplish this?
* Then proceed with shaving a few more points off your score in your mind, and measure the anxiety or discomfort when you imagine yourself playing at this new level. You might “hear” tailenders in your mind that tell you about your limiting beliefs and comfort zones.
* Listen to the possible reasons that complete the following statement: I can’t shoot below a “94” because______________________________________.
* I’ve never done that before
* My golf partners would be jealous
* I couldn’t maintain it once I got there
* I don’t have enough skill, strength, height, etc
Use any variations of your limiting beliefs, no matter how true they seem, for Tapping setup phrases.
* Even though I don’t know how to lower my score, I accept who I am and that my body knows what to do.
* Even though I’m afraid to improve, I accept who I am and how I feel.
* Even though I don’t want the pressure of keeping up this new level of play, I accept who I am and how I feel right now.
* Even though I don’t want to rock the boat, I accept my feelings and these conflicts.
Use this technique for any athletic or scoring accomplishment you want to achieve. Identify the limiting belief or comfort zone, and tap until you have neutralized it. The evidence will show up in your next round of golf…(or swim meet, or tennis match)
Suppose you are a writer, and can’t seem to put pen to paper these days…a common problem. You would want to ask yourself some of the following questions:
* How is it serving you to be stuck right now?
* What is the downside of publishing your work?
* Who “wins” when you are blocked in your art?
* Do you feel deserving of success?
We all get stuck in different parts of our lives. Being stuck simply means we are running around in circles doing the same behavior over and over again without making any progress. It’s the emotional conflicts that create writer’s block or any artistic limit, not a force outside of ourselves.
Try the following Tapping statements:
* Even though I sabotaged the acting audition so I wouldn’t have to be seen by all those people, I choose to accept I am worthy.
* Even though I’m afraid of being exposed if I become more successful in my writing, I accept who I am and the talent I have.
* Even though feeling stuck is familiar to me, and I’m afraid to change this pattern, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
* Even though it’s hard to believe in myself because he said I was “a nobody” I accept who I am and choose to believe this pattern.
“Artistic” performance, whether you are a musician, artist, actor, or writer, takes incredible talent, vulnerability and skill. Emotional conflicts are never far behind. Thankfully, we are now able to apply Tapping for performance anxiety, writer’s block, fear of success and any other limiting beliefs or blocks to moving forward in your field.
