According to the Cambridge Dictionary, “comfort” is defined as
The pleasant and satisfying feeling of being physically or mentally free from pain and suffering.
This state of being is very powerful, and I have observed that comfort – whether intentional or unintentional – is the goal for most people I interact with.
In my own life, the elixir of comfort is a very deceptive and dangerous state of being. As I reflect on my own life, I have discovered that growth has always been sparked by decisions and actions that required discomfort. Let that sink in: To experience growth, you must become comfortable with being uncomfortable.
Here are some practical ways that I avoid the danger of falling back into a comfort-seeking mindset, which leads to stagnation and lack of growth:
- Journaling: writing down how challenges and difficulty decision and experience bore great fruit.
- Reading: about people who took risks and stepped out in faith into the unknown and achieved far more than they could have ever imagined.
- Friends: Choosing and investing in friends who have a growth mindset and view life as a journey with peaks and valleys.
- Mindset: Understanding that there is plenty out there, and more to spare
As a doctor of movement, I teach patients first and foremost how important it is to exert proper tension and stress to muscles, joints and body through exercise. This helps us to stay strong and healthy. The consequence of avoiding stress and activity and being “comfortable” with our body is devastating for all of our body systems.
Take time this week to talk to your team members about when they experienced the most growth in their lives. Was it when they were comfortable? Or, was growth the direct result of a challenging situation, circumstance or season of life?
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