In 2025, I’ve been trying to do something different.
Specifically, towards something that is instant or makes me uncomfortable.
(Of course, I don’t mean “when I’m in physical danger.”)
But, I’m going to run Go What my brain told me: “It’s uncomfortable, I don’t like it, avoid it at all costs.”
I’m afraid of opening emails. I’m afraid of having a conversation. I’m afraid of the questions I’m asking. The ability to be alone with my thoughts (Yikes).
Avoid being bored, uncomfortable or sad or guilty when I reach for my phone, Netflix or PlayStation controller…
I’m trying to establish some discipline to pause first.
Don’t avoid it, distract yourself or get yourself out of what’s really going on.
Indistinguishable or escape, Monty-Piton style.
If I have the courage to sit there and really ask a question: “Why does this make me uncomfortable?” There are valuable lessons to learn.
Positive to discomfort
Author Pema Chodron lists the following in her book When things crash:
“We see any kind of discomfort as bad news.
…sensations like disappointment, embarrassment, excitement, resentment, anger, jealousy, and fear.
These are actually very clear moments, not bad news. ”
If we give ourselves space to learn, these things can be incredible teachers.
But this is the problem for 2025:
Thanks to the internet and our phones and the delivery of the day, we can spend almost every day hiding in almost every uncomfortable feeling in life. We never have to be bored, we never have to feel “bad”, we never have to deal with the elephants in the room.
We can only slide, click, click or disassemble to avoid any “bad” feeling.
We can hide from them with endless entertainment and comfort (even if it prevents us from getting what we really want).
Of course, those bad feelings won’t go away – they’re still there, and things we avoid will eventually need to be dealt with.
When I try to avoid discomfort, I know I don’t actually avoid it. I didn’t box it.
I was trapped by the monster and Pandora’s box.
The 17th-century philosopher Blaise Pascal said: This is the best:
“All human problems stem from human weakness in sitting alone in a room.”
These feelings are trying to teach us!
If we can reshape our feelings about them, many discomforts are screaming and teaching us something.
As Chodron pointed out:
“They are like messengers who show us to us with terrible clarity, It’s where we’re stuck.
This moment is a perfect teacher and fortunately for us to be with us no matter where we are. ”
There is a way in which life makes this quiet, uncomfortable feeling louder, louder until we can’t help but solve it…
But if we recognize fear, lean faster and realize that life is trying to teach us something, we can save a lot of time.
This is my challenge to you this week.
If what…
We asked, “I real Hungry, or am I just soothe myself with food? ”
What does we admit we feel scared, anxious or nervous, and then (with compassionate curiosity) have to do with that feeling?
Life tries to teach us lessons every day.
We just need someone brave enough to see it.
-steve
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#courage #listen #lessons #teaching
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