I have been enthralled with the poetry of Robert Service, a British-Canadian poet who wrote beautifully about life in the Klondike during the gold rush at the turn of the century. 

While reading a collection of his poems, I came across one titled “My Masterpiece.” You’ll find it below. 

Its slim and trim and bound in blue;
Its leaves are crisp and edged with gold;
Its words are simple, stalwart too;
Its thoughts are tender, wise and bold.
Its pages scintillate with wit;
Its pathos clutches at my throat:
Oh, how I love each line of it!
That Little Book I Never Wrote.
In dreams I see it praised and prized
By all, from plowman unto peer;
It’s pencil—marked and memorized,
It’s loaned (and not returned, I fear);
It’s worn and torn and travel—tossed,
And even dusky natives quote
That classic that the world has lost,
The Little Book I Never Wrote.
Poor ghost! For homes you’ve failed to cheer,
For grieving hearts uncomforted,
Don’t haunt me now. . . . Alas! I fear
The fire of Inspiration’s dead.
A humdrum way I go to—night,
From all I hoped and dreamed remote:
Too late . . . a better man must write
That Little Book I Never Wrote.

Robert Service

Sitting in my living room reading this poem, the last line grabbed my attention. 

“A better man must write

That little book I never wrote.”

What a profound realization – the dreams, considerations, and plans; the things we leave undone – are an offering to a better man to see accomplished. 

Then, this thought drifted in: What if I have the opportunity to be that better man?

What if we all have the chance to live two lives? One of safety, certainty, and security, and then a braver version where we take risks, explore the unknown, and live a wild and meaningful life. One that does not leave things undone, live unfulfilled, or end life with regret. 

And even more sobering…this invitation to a braver, better version of us has a shelf life. There will come a moment (of which we do not know when) where I will no longer have the chance to live a better version of me and a different person will end up living the life I wish I had. 

So why leave the better version of me on the table? Why do we settle for a life we dream of living and not realizing? We will explore these questions over the next three to four blog posts and provide a framework that motivates us to take action toward the wild and meaningful life we dream of. 

Braving the wild and unknown is the first step towards becoming a better version of myself. Certainty and safety are the fabric of lives, leaving dreams and potential unrealized. 

We love our house. It’s cute and quaint, and it’s hard to describe. Our home just feels good. As I write this, I am basking in the soft, warm glow of Christmas lights and our fireplace; it is hard to imagine a cozier environment. Which is beneficial for the life of an entrepreneur who works from home. It is easy to find ourselves spending days in our house, working and living without much need or desire to go outside. But that isn’t a life, even though it can feel like it is. Life is out and about, having experiences and interacting with our family, friends, and clients. Even though life in our house is safe and comfortable, living isolated inside is not how life is meant to be. 

Just like our home is cozy, safe, and comfortable, we seek to create a similar space in our lives called our comfort zone—a way of life that prioritizes safety and perceived control. It is easy to forget that our brains’ commitment is not our growth but our survival. Our minds’ job is to ensure that our meat suit stays alive and reproduces. It uses our comfort zone to buffer us from perceived risk and challenges. Any shifts in our lives, chosen or forced, that move us out of our comfort zone into the wild are perceived as a massive threat to our survival. 

Our brain, doing what it is designed to do, will use any and all tricks in its arsenal to encourage (or force) us back into our comfort zone. From screaming at us internally through our inner critic to seeking out numbing activities to stall our progress, it fixes our attention on how “little progress” we have made, which leads to discouragement and stories that cause us to question ourselves. Our brain is very adept at figuring out the right lever to pull that drives us right back to our comfort zone. 

So, the stage is set to explore how we often find ourselves trapped in a life lived automatically—dreaming of possibilities yet failing to act, pondering what we would do if only we had more time, more money, or more influence. Next week, we’ll dive into how our comfort zones become the very places where we reside and how to break free!

For now, ruminate on this question:

What is one specific step I can take today to step outside my comfort zone and move towards the life I truly desire?