Fear does not feel comfortable, and many people want to avoid it at all costs. Everyone experiences fear. People who want to be successful feel fear and do it anyway! Fear is part of package. Yes, there is always a risk of failure, but that needs to balanced with old adage “Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained”. A child’s risk of falling when taking those first faltering steps is high. Yet, what a transformation to a child’s life once they have mastered skill of walking! Limitless possibilities are opened up in child’s life. The falls and tumbles are soon forgotten overshadowed by new adventures and experiences. Pushing through to leave your comfort zone is hard work. Nature demonstrates that graphically for us. The chick pecking it’s way out of shell, butterfly struggling from it’s cocoon, illustrate how that struggle is necessary in order to bring life, growth and success. The good news is that once we have faced our fears and done it anyway, we have moved forward to a new place. Every time we push through and live out of our comfort zone we will never be same. Growth happens!

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. US Supreme Court Justice, once said “Man’s mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.”

I believe this is true of not only our mind, but also of who we are as unique people. Life moves into a new dimension through each experience we go through in life. However there is also possibility that once we have pushed through our comfort zone into a new place of growth, we rest too long there, and create a different comfort zone! Let’s keep pushing through and moving forward towards growing our uniqueness and living our life fully.

You can easily and enjoyably boost your word awareness by 1) selecting a particular cue word as a trigger for mindfulness, or 2) focusing on phrases used in specific settings. Better yet, try both!

By using a particular word as a mindfulness trigger, you can watch how others create poetic representations of same element.

Ready for your secret food awareness word? Here it is: morsel.

Listening for a specific word will develop your ability to make distinctions in way it is used and allow you to watch for subtle variations. Does "morsel" refer to something creamy or chewy? Is it savory or sweet?

To play with poetry and mindfulness at same time, notice phrases used to describe food. Listen to them with an ear for rhythm, and picture them as lines of a poem.

Read menu descriptions, food articles or cookbooks and be aware of adjectives most likely to get your mouth watering. Sensual words like "succulent" and "luscious" elicit physiological responses. Pay attention to those, and listen for phrases you hear that create especially vivid sense experiences.

Linking word pictures with taste helps us anchor our linguistic intelligence with our bodily intelligence, and this makes our mouths very happy indeed!

Delectable words, Delicious poetry. Mmmm-- True taste sensation.