comfort + discomfort

I've been living in the Charlotte area for a little over a month now. The other day, I was driving into a specific part of town and realized I actually understood where I was. Now, this really shouldn't have been that exciting to me as I have lived in the area for a little while now. But nevertheless, it was. It felt so cool to feel more comfortable in this new space, even if only a little.

It feels great to feel comfortable, but (at least in this case) the reason I was so happy in my newfound comfort was because I pushed myself through the period of being uncomfortable.

I don't know that I would have appreciated the minor joy of understanding my surroundings had I not worked through the discomfort and uncertainty. Coming out of this, I hope to find joy in these times of discomfort. By that, I mean times where I am in a new environment and feel a little overwhelmed or lost. I hope that instead of seeing it as a scary thing, I see it as an opportunity to explore something new and develop a sense of comfort in a different aspect of life.

That feeling of comfort is truly great, but it's even better to know that I pushed myself and in turn found more spaces where I feel comfortable, after a little work. I look forward to continuing to expand my range of comfort (even if it requires a bit of discomfort).

That being said, comfort isn't always the goal when faced with discomfort. Sometimes, we may be put in situations where we feel called to act, even if it makes us uncomfortable. Maybe it's a matter of ethics, the safety of others, defending our principles or whatever else — regardless, sometimes we have to embrace what is uncomfortable. We may not leave the situation feeling a sense of comfort or peace, but we will hopefully have a bit of ease knowing that our actions aligned with our values. We might not leave that moment in time feeling that comfort, but we could be better off in spite of it.

Don't settle for constant comfort — we can grow from our periods of discomfort.