Shut the F*** up

If you thought we were done doing a Comfort Zone challenge after one, you clearly don't know me very well.

Allowing time for Spring Break, and for me to take notes and scheme, we just set each other our next challenge.

I admit, I was nervous as to what Marlene would set for me.  We recently had a conversation about my personal Comfort Zone after a comment from a friend that she didn't believe much in life was outside my comfort zone.  I knew Marlene was taking  mental note of that so I fully expected it to be something really challenging to "up the ante" and really push me.

Marlene and I never stop talking when we are together.  The deep and meaningful discussions we always have about everything and anything are one of the many things I cherish in my friendship with her.  So when she mentioned what my next challenge was going to be, I knew it would have to be with her to push me even more.

She challenged me to go on a 24 hour silent retreat but gave me the option of going alone, going with my husband or with her.  Going alone would have been a breeze for me as I am not one to strike up a conversation with a stranger anyway if I don't need to and am comfortable in my own silence.  Going with my husband would have been a bit of a challenge, how would I nag him if I had to be silent, lol!  Going with Marlene is going to be hard.  I knew I would be bursting to discuss things we see and the experience we were going through with her but having to wait 24 hours to do so would be challenging.

Giving it some thought I decided that it would be easier than I thought, just take a few good books and read the whole time, not so hard.  But then I stupidly asked Marlene for some parameters.   What could we bring, what we could do and if any level of communication was allowed, note passing etc.

NO BOOKS she said!!!  I kicked back at first and whined a little, I must admit as I am always reading when I can and couldn't stand the thought of missing the chance of all those quiet hours of reading.  Then I remembered the name of the challenge, The Comfort Zone Challenge, and realized that to really push that zone I would have to follow her rules.

I can journal, color, knit, meditate, prepare my meals, hike etc so have options.

Marlene went to visit the retreat to get a feel for it and sent me some pictures.

My comments on the pictures were "Looks lovely although it also looks like the set of a bad horror movie in the woods"!

Watch this space for how it goes in a few weeks.

Think about grabbing a friend of your own and challenging each other as well.