Years ago, in another life, I used to drive past a huge billboard every day on my way to work that said:
DO SOMETHING UNCOMFORTABLE EVERY DAY!
And every day, I would yell back at it:
I AM!
And I was. I was facing many fears, both in my personal life and in my work life.
Every single day made me want to squirm. My stomach was tight. My mind was racing. And I fell into bed absolutely exhausted every single night.
Was it worth it? Absolutely.
Would I do it again?
Yes.
And no.
More accurately, I would do it a little differently.
I would balance out the discomfort with some big doses of nurturing, instead of just being an unrelenting taskmaster.
I am thinking about that now as I am in the midst of another big growth spurt. I feel the familiar sensation of wanting to squirm in the discomfort.
And I know I have to be in this place.
But I don’t have to be there 24/7. And I do have the ability to put myself in discomfort AND give myself some nurturing at the same time.
So do you.
Often, we instinctively turn away from the discomfort because we think it will only be painful or stressful.
But what if it can be several things at once? What might that look like?
For me, it might look like saying yes to the projects that make me stretch while making time to doodle and let go of all outcomes.
It might look like talking myself into taking a leap while assuring myself that I have taken leaps before and have landed on my feet.
It could look like stepping into uncertainty while doing practices that help me to keep trusting the certainty of my own strength and wisdom.
It could look like doing something risky in the world and arranging time to simply be in the easy presence of a loved one that evening.
It could look like sharing something I made only after getting support from trusted people in my life.
Perhaps you are contemplating doing something uncomfortable. Perhaps you are knee-deep in the discomfort already. How can you simultaneously nurture yourself in that space?
How might nurturing be the key to doing discomfort well and consistently for the continual, satisfying, exciting growth you desire?
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Some of us are getting uncomfortable and nurturing ourselves together in Group Creative Coaching. We have two openings before we get started in a few weeks!