The Comfort Zones

    Life can be hard. It can also be unpredictable. It's like an ocean; the waves might be calm and beautiful one day, then dangerous and stormy the next day. But if you take a closer look at the ocean, you soon notice something else: it contains plenty of safe little islands. The islands seem very inviting to you as you struggle to navigate the treacherous sea. They are green and peaceful, relatively untouched by the choppy waves. 
    Intrigued by the promising view, you row your boat toward the nearest island. As you get closer to it, you realize that you have discovered quite a treasure! The island you have reached is not alone; ​it is linked to many others. Each island seems to have a different theme, yet all of them share the same purpose: they all provide relaxation and amusement to tired travelers like you.
    All day, you explore the islands. Each one has a name. There is an island called “Comfort Food” which contains hundreds of snacks and desserts, as well as practically every delectable morsel you can imagine. There is an island named “TV”; on this island, you can choose from countless channels and watch the silver screen at any time of the day or night. There is a huge island called “Internet”; on this island, your attention can be continuously occupied by news stories, sports, music, videos, and even the tiniest details of your friends' lives. In fact, on this intriguing island, you can find information you didn't even know existed.
    As you visit one island after another, you realize that there is something for everyone here. There is an island called “Social Scene” where friends meet to talk and participate in various activities; there is also an island called “Solitude” on which quiet types can happily lose themselves in a creative project for hours. There is “Video Game” Island, “Movie” Island, “Shopping” Island, and “Dream House” Island, among many others. There is even an island that is simply named “Stuff”; on this island – which is always full of boxes – you can add to your personal collection of belongings, as well as spend hours labeling, packing, and moving your stuff to make room for other stuff.
    There is plenty of carefree fun to be enjoyed here; these islands do not share the obvious dangers or tainted reputation of their relatives the Vice Islands. Yet, as you indulge in the comforts offered on the islands, you make a sobering discovery: everything here costs time, health, or both. And although the islands contain almost everything imaginable, they lack renewable supplies of time and health. Life on the islands is definitely easier than it is out in the surrounding ocean, but island life certainly wasn't meant for the long haul. In fact, if you were to stay on the islands for too long a time without venturing out into the vast, scary world, you would find it to be downright unhealthy.
    So with a sigh, you climb back into your boat and set sail for unknown waters, leaving the colorful group of islands – known collectively as the Comfort Zones - behind. Although you enjoyed your visit to the islands, you feel that there are greater things in store for you. You will probably have a long and dangerous journey. But somewhere ahead of you is a place where your passion might turn into your purpose. Someone put you on this earth for a reason. You can either travel the turbulent seas in search of that reason, or you can stay in your comfort zones... it's your choice.