A note on discomfort

If you are human, you probably don't like discomfort. So... what can we do when the inevitable happens?

Us humans design much of our lives for comfort.

It's everywhere.

It's the bed, the pillow, and the blankets where we sleep.

It's the food we eat.

It's in our car and in our homes to regulate temperature so we feel good.

It's the chairs we sit, the shoes we walk in, and the clothes we wear (sometimes, ha).

It's when we don't go talk to that person.

When we don't stand up for ourselves.

It's when we stick in career paths longer than we should, so we have that "safety" net.

It shows up in times where we make decisions on creating change for ourselves..."how uncomfortable will this be?" and it influences that choice even when it could mean a life changing experience.

As a coach for most of my adult life, I have seen time and time again people start a gym with good intentions and quit due to it not being comfortable enough for the life they live.

I have seen many a goals shared and forgotten a few months later.

Don't get me wrong...this is not always general and it's often very nuanced.

It's not always discomfort that stops someone from doing something, there are many other valid reasons for it...of course! Life is often a struggle.

AND... discomfort is often one of the leading culprits.

It's a both/and.

If the saying "we are not our thoughts" CAN be true... then this idea that my own discomfort often dictates what I do CAN be true also.

It means I am listening to my thoughts, my ego... I am letting those things control me.

Again... sometimes this is really important. Take the nuance to this whole idea as much as we take the nuance into debating where it isn't true.

My ask of you is this...find where it could be true for you.

Where do you let comfort dictate what you do in life?

I will tell you I have let it dictate mine in every way possible.

Any amount of healing my own traumas or any headway I might have been able to make in this journey called life has been due to either willingly or forcefully going fourth into discomfort.

One of the best ways I have experienced building up my ability to be in the mess of discomfort is... TO WILLINGLY PUT MYSELF IN IT.

We can do this in our movement practice.

We can do this in the gym.

We can do this by routinely and regularly opting into doing something we might not want to be doing.

This doesn't mean don't listen to what your deepest self knows is good for you, it means to challenge that ego and your desires for comfort, especially if it means a better life and a healthier life. (I imagine this is what your deepest self does want for you!)

Here is the honest truth...

I have spent most of my adult life strengthening this muscle in the gym. I regularly put myself through discomfort in that space.

AND... I am still not good at dealing with discomfort.

BUT... I am 100x better than I was.

I have the movement practice in the gym to thank for that. I have all those who showed me what discomfort was and how to operate in it to thank for that.

Remember, it is a process not a destination...you don't get there...you keep opting in over and over and over again. (Plug for the last blog post, go check that out).

DISCOMFORT CAN BE OPPORTUNITY.

Stay being, stay doing...and get uncomfortable.

Coach D.