On Saturday, as I was waiting for the hotel elevator after the Millionaire Mind Intensive lunch break, I overheard a snippet of conversation a man was having on a cell phone.

"I'm here at this Millionaire Mind Conference." "Yeah, there's been some pretty interesting stuff. But there's also been a lot of touchy feely stuff. And you know me…I just don't do touchy feely!"

He really put an emphasis on that last statement. "I don't do touchy feely."

One of the concepts that T. Harv Ecker teaches is a simple equation: CZ=$Z: The size of your Comfort Zone equals the size of your Money Zone. If you want to expand your money zone you MUST be willing to stretch the boundaries of your Comfort Zone.

Was this man in the hallway of the Holiday Inn willing to stretch his comfort zone? I don't think so. How much is his Money Zone going to expand if he holds onto his pattern of not doing touchy feely? Not a whole heck of a lot!

Now here's the thing. It's never comfortable to stretch your comfort zone. After all it is called the comfort zone. During this seminar I was continuously challenged to stretch my comfort zone, beginning at the very first break.

The trainer, David Wood, challenged us to meet at least one new person during every break. "Can you commit to that?" he asked. "Yeah, yeah. No problem. I can do that." I said. Well, actually, I got caught up in the energy of the moment and screamed at the top of my lungs. "Yes!!!"

Well, you may not believe this, but I'm not actually a very good new-person-meeter. I'd much rather be in my office talking to a coaching client, or sitting, anonymously in a café writing blog posts, or teaching small, intimate groups.

So when the first break came I found myself falling into a familiar (comfortable) pattern. I walked out of the hall (without meeting anyone new) headed up the stairs (without meeting anyone new) went straight out the doors of the convention center and found myself standing at the corner of the sidewalk, just about to take a "quick walk around the block to get some fresh air."

That's what the guardian of my comfort zone was saying. "Don't worry. You'll have time to meet someone after you walk around the block. But right now, you need some exercise and fresh air. Go on."

STOP!

Before my foot stepped off the sidewalk, I caught myself, turned around, and walked right up to a woman that was standing there and said, "Hi."

That's all it took to short-circuit the part of my comfort zone that wants to remain invisible, unseen, and on the sidelines. At the moment when I said "STOP" and overruled the voice of my Comfort Zone guardian, I expanded the boundaries of my Comfort Zone and began to break a pattern that had kept me small.

After that break, I made a commitment to myself. I committed to meeting someone new at every break. I committed to breaking the pattern that kept me separate and apart from others. I committed to letting myself be seen and seeing others. I realized that, while I was quite an exceptional observer of others, as long as I remained on the sidelines, watching, I was not truly seeing them.

And here's the best part: It got easier and easier. At every break, I met at least one new person. I had wonderful conversations and connections with these people. I got to see how my pattern of staying on the sidelines and not being seen was holding me back. I got to see just how irrational my fears were.

So let me ask you this: What is your "touchy feely?" What is one thing that you "just don't do?"

How is that pattern holding you back? How is that pattern keeping you small?

Do you want to change that pattern? Do you want to stretch your Comfort Zone?

Remember CZ=$Z: The size of your Comfort Zone equals the size of your Money Zone. But it's not just your money zone. The size of your Comfort Zone also equals the size of your Joy Zone, your Love Zone, your Fulfillment Zone… Get it?

If you want more of anything in your life, you have to be willing to stretch your Comfort Zone. Are you willing to do so?

If you say "yes," I want you to click on the "add a comment" link down below right now, and let me know what one step you are going to take today to stretch the boundaries of your Comfort Zone.