“Fate whispers to the warrior ‘You cannot withstand the storm.’ The warrior whispers back, ‘I am the storm.'” – Unknown
Nobody wants to be uncomfortable. Our bodies are designed against discomfort. If you have an itch, you scratch it. If a seat is uncomfortable, your body gives you signals to get up. This instinctual want has roots far back into human history and evolution. Ironically, this tendency pits us directly at odds with what’s required to grow and mature. Discomfort is necessary to fully appreciate our moments of comfort.
The instinctual misalignment of balancing the two is an unfair irony to the human race. It’s easy to binge-watch streaming content. Some relaxation is good, and necessary, but spending six hours and fifty-eight minutes per day (current average) staring at a screen will not help you achieve your goals. It’s hard to go to the gym multiple times per week. It’s inconvenient to do those necessary home repairs. It’s tedious to cook your own meals. While these points might be true, it’s easy to see which actions are better for you long-term.
Similar to growing pains, personal betterment involves varying levels of discomfort. Without physical pain, your height and physical maturity would remain prepubescent until you died. The same theory applies for mental and emotional growth. Overcoming challenges helps you build the tools to be successful. This can come in the form of studying for an exam, reflecting upon a personal belief, or tackling a hard project at work. All new scenarios come with a certain amount of unknowns. There will be set backs. There will be failures. Yet, it is not possible to achieve your goals by seeking the false comfort of inaction. Document your goals then focus on overcoming the obstacles. You will learn from your failures, and these learnings will lead to successes.
A body in motion stays in motion, while a body at rest stays at rest. Stay in motion by pushing yourself to embrace the discomfort. Evolve your mindset to enjoy the trials of life. Plan travel to an exotic location, have that challenging conversation with your friend/family member, ask for a promotion, start your own business, talk to strangers. Achieve success, celebrate, then repeat. All of us have different tolerance levels for discomfort. Understand yours and expand it.
Action: List three things you would like to do but haven’t because they are uncomfortable. Do one.
Further Reading:
Alarming Average Screen Time Statistics (2023)
Embracing Discomfort Can Open Our Minds to New Ideas
Motivating Personal Growth by Seeking Discomfort
Strategies for Learning from Failure
Discover more from Escape the Screen(s)
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.