Being uncomfortable is the key to getting unstuck.
This unique region of the brain is only activated when we see or experience completely new things.
In other words: we only grow when we seek the unfamiliar, the unknown, the uncomfortable.
Photo byDewang GuptaonUnsplash
Few people enjoy feeling uncomfortable.
It always starts in the present.
And more often than not, it starts when its the only option left.
Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty…
I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life.
I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well.
Because they were never forced to face adversity and to rise to their fullest potential.
But it doesnt have to be like that.
We dont only grow when we are forced to experience discomfort.
We grow as much, and perhaps more, when we are willing to embrace it.
If Its Not Painful Its Not Worth The Effort
We are, by nature, comfort-seeking animals.
We are in constant pursuit of the familiar, the tangible, and the simplistic.
These shell habits are the most dangerous because you launch the risk of never becoming aware of them.
But saying no to discomfort means saying no to life.
Nothing worth having comes without effort.
Your job is to learn how to accomplish difficult things without continuously distracting yourself with your addictions.
You want to develop what Greene callsa perverse pleasurein experiencing internal conflict, and becoming comfortable with it.
I did about eight.
And he said all right.
Take 30 seconds and do it again.
So 30 seconds later I got up on the bar and I did six, struggling.
And he said all right, one more time.
We waited 30 seconds and I barely got three or four and I was done.
I mean couldnt-move-my-arms done.
And he said all right.
Were not leaving until you do 100 more.
And it was just a great lesson.
Most people will stop when things get uncomfortable because they think they cant possibly bear the struggle.
But when does uncomfortable becomes too uncomfortable?
Its up to you to decide.
But a reasonable answer might be: not as soon as you may think.
Often, the solution to our problems is in the obstacles we avoid facing.
Because in trying to avoid pain we become a shadow of the person we were meant to be.
Life is ironic like that.
