Here in America, we spend a lot of our time, energy and money on getting, being and staying “comfortable.” Think about it.
If we’re hungry – we eat, if we’re cold – we turn up the heat. I’m not suggesting that we sit around hungry in the freezing cold; but I am suggesting that we live with and appreciate discomfort. This may sound counter intuitive. How could a person possibly appreciate discomfort?
The Power of Discomfort
When the baby is learning to talk or walk, they have to garble words and trip over their own feet. They aren’t “comfortable,” they are learning. When we are learning, we are uncomfortable. When we are growing, we are uncomfortable. When we are stagnant… we seek comfort more and more.
This isn’t a complicated idea…it’s pretty simple. Pay attention to how comfortable you are. On a scale from 1 to 10, right now, how comfortable are you? Are you warm/cool enough? are you under pressure? is the pressure self-imposed? Are you learning new things? Or are you just complaining? I’m not suggesting that you run yourself ragged in order to be uncomfortable so you can learn and grow. I’m suggesting that you look at your discomfort. Is it teaching you something?
It’s good to be a little cold, a little hungry – to think a little more about putting ourselves in situations where we can learn versus staying a safe warm cocoon where nothing changes. Go ahead, embrace the discomfort. Let me know how it goes.
Image credit: Louis CK – Why we must learn to embrace discomfort
What do you think?