Joe Divosevic B.S., SCCC, CSCS, PES, USAW, USA Boxing
Jun 20 2019

Stepping Away From the Comfort Zone


        Stepping Away From the Comfort Zone

Many of us have at least one place in our daily lives we can go, which gives us a sense of temporary contentment. Most of us have naturally become creatures of habit in many respects due to the fact that we are products of human nature, and because of this we yearn for predictable outcomes which provide a sense of security within our existence. We have done this since the day we were born. Remember watching the same children’s movie 20 or more times? The outcome is pretty predictable! If we have it our way, merely for survival purposes and no other reason, we would choose a path of less resistance if the sole intention is to avoid unwanted life stressors. But what if the stressors that we sometimes view as harmful were looked upon from the opposing perspective as a means for growth? I hope the following article provides insight and becomes influential to you as you journey outside of your comfort zone! There are circumstances where unintentional and/or intentional additions of “stress” can create a positive outcome for each of us. In many cases, stress is a relative term. Two separate individuals can take the exact same dose of a particular stressor and it will provide two completely different outcomes. One person may view the stressful situation as harmful, feels the discomfort and attempts to avoid it, while the other perceives it as non-threatening and accepts the invitation for personal development. Some, as strange as it sounds even enjoy the internal rush associated with a stressful event. To better understand, let’s ask ourselves what is stress?
Many people are unaware that there are two main categories of stress: Eustress and Distress. Eustress is the good stress that motivates you to continue working. Stress can be a motivator and provide incentive to get the job done. This "good stress" is what eustress can be identified as and some people enjoy it. Everyone needs a little bit of stress in their life in order to continue to be happy, motivated, challenged and productive. It is when this stress is no longer tolerable and/or manageable that it becomes distress. Bad stress, or distress, is when the good stress becomes too much to bear or cope with. Tension builds, there is no longer any fun in the challenge, there seems to be no relief, no end in sight. This is the kind of stress most of us are familiar with and this is the kind of stress that leads to poor decision making. Physiological symptoms of distress include an increase in blood pressure, rapid breathing and generalized tension. Behavioral symptoms include overeating, loss of appetite, drinking, smoking and negative coping mechanisms. Our predisposition to tolerate stress is comprised of both a genetic and an environmental element. We as human-beings are designed to adapt so that we have the ability to survive not just physically but emotionally as well. This tells us that we can, if willing, develop an increased threshold for emotional stress tolerance just the same as we adapt to physical training stress.
We all feel stress much the same way. We have all, at some point, developed an uncomfortable feeling inside from anxiety and stress. The difference lies in how we individually deal with it. Anyone familiar with competition has felt stress, whether in sports, the class room or in the business world. The stress that accompanies the fear of losing or maybe just the fear of having an awful performance can become quite overwhelming.
I can remember hearing, as a young teenager, the late great trainer and father figure Cus D’Amato talk to Mike Tyson about fear. He used the analogy of fire (fire and fear) and said that fire, like fear can be your best friend if it is controlled and accepted. It keeps you warm, you can cook with it. It then becomes a great means for survival. If that same fire, like fear, is not controlled, it can destroy you and everything in its path.
This analogy has stuck with me throughout my life. It has helped me overcome my personal fears in many instances. An example of that was as a twenty-one year old man, when I was invited to compete in a power lifting competition with the inmates of a state correctional institution. I would be the only non-inmate to participate in this event. The day of competition, I entered the facility through a procedure similar to that of a returning inmate. I remember the exact feeling in my gut as I passed the various clearances on the way to the designated dressing area. I was escorted by correctional officers who instructed me to look straight ahead and to avoid making eye contact with anyone until we reached our destination.
After changing into my lifting apparel, I signaled to officers, via hand gesture that I was ready to proceed to the competition area. I can remember the smell, sounds and vibration from the weights being dropped in the warm-up room. It sounded much different than any gym I had been to, but that was only because it was unfamiliar territory. I can recall a feeling of being the “outsider” in the room, but also understood that I had to maintain a “business as usual” mentality. I had to channel those nerves appropriately to perform the task at hand. I was here to compete! Without going into too much detail, that day I made 7 out of 9 lifting attempts, I took home a first place award and actually had some very interesting conversations with the competitors whom were all inmates, that by the way, felt more freely to talk about their personal life experiences than I had expected. I came into this particular institution with reserve, but left seven hours later feeling like I had grown 10 years as a man! Two years later, as fate would have it; I was invited back to the same correctional facility. I never expected this! This time as an amateur heavyweight boxer who was turning professional in a few months. I was preparing for my pro debut which happened to be placed on the under card with former world champion Paul Spadafora’s co-main event pro debut. I wasn’t sure then, and don’t even know now, why I had inherited opportunities like this in my young life, but because of it I am better today. Because of it, whenever I hear the adage “with age comes experience”, to me holds only partial truth. I rephrase to say: “with experience comes experience”.
The second visit to the correctional facility was quite different. Even though I was going back to the same venue, and the entry procedure was about the same, with many of the same faces, the reason for my return was not. I was competing in a boxing ring, not on a power lifting platform, and although these boxers were there to help me prepare for my boxing match, they also did not want to look bad in front of their peers. I had to maintain a non-threatened attitude. I had to tell myself these guys are helping me become a better man. This is part of the process. As we proceeded past the check-point and entered the walk way toward the boxing ring, it felt like a movie. I was once again escorted by correctional officers, but this time had to pass through “the yard” which was an outside area for recreation purposes. It was just like I had seen on television. I was showered with obscenities, contrary to my previous visit. I recall a sickened feeling in my gut as I was repeatedly instructed to keep my gaze away from the crowd in the recreation area. Finally, we made it to the changing area where my trainer and I prepared for our activities. My nerves were at the highest they had ever been in my entire life. This was stress like I had never experienced. I was concerned that I could not control the excitement which had turned to a sickness inside. Once I entered the ring, things weren’t as uncomfortable, but I had certainly felt the loss of stamina before the first round’s bell.
I went six rounds that day with 3 fighters of different weight divisions. I did not finish with the performance I had expected. I completed each round, but felt sluggish. I recall these fighters talking to me, pushing me to new limits through relentless attacks to my entire body. I remember the ropes on this make-shift boxing ring could barely hold me upright. After the sparring had been completed I gasped with a sigh of relief filled with some disappointment, but mostly I felt bigger as a human-being. Before the day was over, I had worked another two hours with the inmates on foot work drills, tactics, and a lesson on different boxing styles. Their knowledge for boxing was beyond anything I had imagined. These guys were skilled boxers. I even got a meal in the facilities mess hall prior to departing. The memories are so vivid to me, and there aren’t many days that pass where I don’t reflect on these experiences. I thank those guys and everyone else that gave me this opportunity.
I suggest that others gradually attempt to escape the comfort zone and embrace their own unknown and uncomfortable places when they have the chance. Leaving that familiar territory should be a place that induces discomfort. For some, it could be building up the courage to join a gym for the first time. For others, it could be playing an instrument in front of an audience larger than normal. Remember the analogy of “fire and fear”. Approach the situation not as life or death, but as a character builder. I feel it is my job as a coach, a father and as a mentor to encourage and build firm foundations for those lives that I touch. I share my stories not to boast, but as examples for others to use as incentives for their own maturity and growth.


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