A Story About Comfort ~ 3 Ways to Step Into The Discomfort

8/4/2014

Last week I went to Porteau Cove with a friend; it's a truly heavenly spot. Given that it was a really hot day I really wanted to swim. I had been there before and I could remember how awesome it was to be in the water. My initial desire was to dive / run in and what actually happened was quite different. Once I got my feet wet, I noticed that the rocks were slippery and there were barnacles on the rocks which hurt my feet. Then my Inner Critic came out to play and the inner dialogue kicked into gear.

I immediately began to co-create with my Inner Critic the reasons why I should not go into the water. By the time the water was above my waist, I had the following thought, "I'm comfortable". Self awareness can be a bitter pill to swallow at times and when I became aware of that thought, I had a bit of a sinking feeling in my gut. The next thought was "Hmmm I wonder how being comfortable is a metaphor for how I live my life?" While I do step into the discomfort on a regular basis, my tendency is to lean into staying comfortable. In recent months as I made decisions and evaluate goals etc. I have created the habit of relating the situation to my purpose. I spent a week reflecting on how this related to my purpose. I also took some bold action throughout the week, which included returning to Porteau Cove and diving in! I invite you to do the same and here are 3 steps that will help you along the way.

When I was a child
I caught a fleeting glimpse
Out of the corner of my eye
I turned to look but it was gone
I cannot put my finger on it now
The child is grown
The dream is gone
I have become comfortably
numb.
~ Pink Floyd

That's the beauty of the cycles in our lives, they are always pulling us towards our purpose and the fullest expression of who we are and what we are here to do. Therefore, "Discomfort" is just another way of bringing our purpose to the surface.

Nothing happens until the pain of staying the same outweighs the pain of change ~ Arthur Burt

3 Ways To Step into The Discomfort

Self Awareness ~ Notice your thoughts, your by, your reactions, your emotions. Notice whether your inner critic is stealing the show. Take some time to reflect, or journal about your awareness. Get moving! Go for a walk, get into nature. Simply notice and become present to what rises to the surface.

Clarify What You Want ~ Your awareness may be that you are tired of being overweight and having low energy. You may quickly realize the 15 - 20 steps that you will need to take in order to step into the discomfort. What you truly want exists beyond the steps. Clarify how you will feel on the other side of the action steps and allow yourself to imagine what is possible.

Take One Bold Action ~ That's right only One Bold Action! Resist the urge to make a long To Do List with all the steps of how to get there. Identify one thing that you can do right now that would move you towards what you truly want. For example, commit to packing a healthy lunch for a week. Your action should be a stretch, which will require effort on your part. If it doesn't feel like a stretch than you need to choose something different. Allow yourself to continue to have awareness and make further decisions. Let the future unfold.

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