The Virtue of Discomfort...

I went to church this morning, and the pastor was not our usual guy. He was the usual youth pastor and seemed pretty nervous to be doing the big job. After apologizing profusely if his sermon left us with more questions that answers, he got to the point. Family was his topic of choice this day, and what's more, alternative families... A big topic to tackle to be sure.

He started off with this little musical piece (http://www.dennyburk.com/?p=2146) which although not completely tied in to his topic, definitely gave us a bit of a laugh.

I think that perhaps the nerves, etc... Helped our nervous androgogue to come up with a few really great thoughts. The main drive of his lesson focused on the idea of 'discomfort' and 'inconvenience'. Although his platform was related to welcoming the discomfort that we might feel when we are interacting with families that are different from our own, the key element was the notion of 'discomfort'.

As a seasoned entrepreneur and 'creative', the only time I have seen anything actually work is when I have made myself truly uncomfortable... Discomfort is a key change catalyst that we should not only welcome but seek out actively when pursuing personal, business, or relational growth. This notion has further complexity added to it by the sheer fact that generally discomfort goes hand in hand with inconvenience... Think about it...

So, if we are faced with personal disappointment, be it something as common place as missing our new years resolution or something as complex as a stagnant business or professional life, I think we should seriously investigate how much we welcome the 'uncomfortable'. Count it up, work it out, and see what the answer is you come up with.

Further, I would challenge anyone to simply take one week of putting themselves regularly in uncomfortable situations (not like farting at the dinner table uncomfortable) that are oriented toward a goal. In addition, accepting the innate inconvenience these times with bring with them. See how much you push toward growth in whatever direction. I think the results might surprise you.

P