I felt that it was important to have a life chat. A lot has happened over the last few weeks for me. I’ve really come to terms with the idea of getting comfortable in the feeling of discomfort. I realized that in any situation where we face fear and vulnerability, we do anything we can to get out of it. This last week has made me realize, sometimes you have to sit in those feelings because the end will come soon enough and you’ll be stronger because of it. Even when we set goals for ourselves, as soon as a little ounce of doubt and fear comes, we’re so quick to abandon them.
A quote that has guided me this past week has been by Alexander Graham Bell:
“When one door closes another one opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the ones which open for us”
-Alexander Graham Bell
I think the best part of that quote is the second half, the part we never hear. When I read it, it makes me realize that it’s ok to feel what you have to feel but don’t spend so much time focusing on it. Something better is on the way.
It made me sit and wonder, why do we stop ourselves from change? Why do we procrastinate going after our goals? Getting a new job? Asking for a raise? Saying goodbye to the toxic friendship? What do the actions we take to escape being uncomfortable offer us that holds us back?
We don’t take those risks because we feel safe wherever we currently are. We might not even like where we are but at least we know the outcome. Our brain sees new situations with unknown responses as an act of danger and it tries to protect us. But when we never attempt to change our current situation, if we don’t get comfortable with feeling uncomfortable and vulnerable, we sell ourselves short of something that could be even more amazing.
So basically, the moral of this story is to try something new. Try learning a new language, try doing the handstand away from a wall (that’s one of my challenges I face with any inversion in my practice… the fear of falling), breakaway from the friend that hurts you more than makes you happy, apply for the new job. Whatever it is that you’ve wanted to do, but stopped yourself, try it. Sit in that fear for a little bit, and watch something incredible flourish.
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