Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Why Discomfort Is Good For You:
“when it looks impossible and you are ready to quit, victory is near!” – Tony Robbins
Tony Robbins hit it out of the ball park when he said this. If I look back at all the years, all I had were a series of challenges and these challenges made me who I am today. This quote is so powerful because there is always a point in our lives when all we want to do is quit and that’s the defining moment in which we change our lives either for the better or for worse and once we get too used to comfort, laziness sets in.
To make practical sense out of this quote and to put it into perspective — There will come a time when your mind will prefer comfort and this usually happens when something is really difficult or nearly impossible.
Should I quit my awful job or find another one?
Should I keep the high paying job or open up that business I always wanted so that I could improve my life and my families regardless of how much work or effort is involved?
The most ironic thing is that the limitation of what’s possible is in your own mind but across the world, someone will do what you’re afraid of doing without much thought or effort. For some it’s self-sabotage and for other’s its plain laziness.
The solution to choose discomfort and put the fear and the anxieties away is to keep reminding yourself that “this too, shall pass” — every moment in your life that was an emergency, a catastrophe or a severe challenge has passed and this too, shall pass.
Let’s face it, no one likes a lazy person but lazy people are often the ones who seek comfort over achievements. Always putting to the side important matters leads to mediocrity and mediocrity is the stepping stone to unhappiness and discontent.
Discomfort is good for you because it makes you yearn for something more. It forces you to make changes in your life or career and to adapt to your circumstances instead of giving up.
In a previous podcast episode, I talked about Mr. Pain and Ms. Experience as my #1 teachers. Mr. Pain has been my discomfort and Ms. Experience is the result of having Mr. Pain in my life. This is why discomfort is good for you because without pain & discomfort, your personal and professional life will never improve.
5 Things mentally strong people don’t do:
Mentally strong people don’t shy away from change: Mentally strong people understand that change is inevitable and believe in their abilities to adapt. They also realize that change is constant and nothing lasts forever.
No career or business lasts forever. Humans and everything humans create has an expiration date associated with them. Therefore, mentally strong people welcome positive change and are willing to be flexible and adapt to their environments.
They don’t fear taking calculated risk: Mentally strong people are resilient because they realize the importance of taking continued calculated risk. Why do you ride the roller coaster or go on daring adventures? You do it to feel alive. Much like roller coasters, white rapids and doing other dangerous activities such as sky diving gives us a feeling of being alive, taking calculated, measured risks are just as important in our daily lives.
All risk can be downsized by making calculated decisions. If you’ve done enough research and have a plan, there is no reason why you should fail.
They don’t dwell in the past: One thing to admire about mentally strong people is that they don’t constantly relive bad experiences or fantasize about the glory days. Instead, they live in the present and plan for the future. Dwelling in the past is probably the number one contributor towards comfort and mediocrity. Dwelling in the past is why some people don’t take risks — calculated or not.
The problem with some people is that they never get passed the moments of discomfort early on in their lives and as a result, this becomes a habit of always reliving the past so that they can avoid future pain and struggle. This is not a good way to live.
They don’t make the same mistakes over-and-over again: Another reason why people force themselves into a pampered and comfortable lifestyle is because they don’t learn from their mistakes. Mentally strong people accept responsibility for their behavior and learnt rom their past mistakes.
As a result, they don’t keep repeating these mistakes over and over. Instead, they move on and make better decisions in the future.
They don’t give up after the first failure: Mentally strong people realize that failure is a huge part of success. They don’t see failure as a reason to give up but as a reason to dissect the situation and figure out what went wrong so that the same mistakes are not repeated. Instead, they use the failure as an opportunity to grow and improve. They are willing to keep trying until they get it right.
So now you have some really compelling reasons why why discomfort is good for you and a bunch of reasons why mentally strong people succeed. As I had previously mentioned — mentally strong people are not only happier but also more successful in life because they don’t give in comfort very easily. Instead, they always push themselves to be and do better in life and in their careers. Mentally strong people are people we usually admire and want to be like but the good news is, you too can be mentally strong starting today.
Question for you: In what area of your life as you most comfortable in that is holding you back? Write your answers in the comment section. Thank you!
Did You Enjoy This Podcast?
Never miss an episode by subscribing, using one of the options below and If you can spare 30-seconds to leave a review, rate and subscribe on iTunes, it would really help the show’s ranking. Thank you, in advance!
