Why Discomfort Is Good for You

Still hung up on Dean’s tenacity, focus and achievements…WOW!

I agree, comfort does not bring happiness..just makes us more miserable.  We are hardwired for growth and purpose – achievement.

I come from Africa and I know for a fact that there can be great joy, happiness, warmth and life in midst of constant discomfort.  When you have fire under your seat, you cannot just settle. You work hard, become tenacious and strong, hope and faith are not an option. That is what keeps you alive, warm, appreciative, growing and grateful.

Here in the western/developed world, I think we do need to learn how to light fires under our own seats :) . Cos no one will light it for you if you don’t.  

Thank you for sharing Michael

Okay, I admit it. I didn’t run my usual three miles because I was worn out from the week. I only ran one on Saturday. I could have pushed through the discomfort and adds some gains. Seriously, good point about the need to feel discomfort and challenge in our lives. It builds character.

I’m learning that when I’m not uncomfortable, I’m not doing something right. I quickly ask God to show me. Though I enjoy a break to rest every now and again, He keeps me on my toes. 

I’m currently very uncomfortable in bringing Jesus to a family of unbelievers. This Christmas may be hard and uncomfortable because God has made me bolder in my faith. 

But there’s nothing better than being comforted by God during the uncomfortable, knowing you are doing His will. 

Excellent! I just signed up for a marathon for the same reason – to break out of my comfort zone and step into something Id never thought I could do. I ran a half marathon for the first time in my life on Saturday as a training run. Im learning there is more to me than I thought!

Michael, based on your recommendation I read Don Miller’s book 10M Miles in 1M Years.  You said it was “required” reading in you mentor program and it should be.  Since then i strive to live that better story (not the volvo story).  This post re: discomfort encourages us to get out of the rut and live a better story.  2012 is going to be a great year.

I have become aware of how difficult it is to communicate the hard edges of life to children growing up in an overindulged culture. How do we do this? I have four children under the age of 12 and I have worked very intentionally against indulging them… but I still find myself trying to prevent them from pain, especially with relationships. Recently I have wondered if I need to give them more space to develop broader wingspans for flying through the difficulties of friendships and school.  I read this article and think that I model avoidance under the guise of wisdom… but am I really teaching my children what they will need to face the unavoidable struggles of this life? Good read for me today. Thank you.

AMEN! Discomfort also enables us to use our faith. It puts us in a place where we have not been before and that requires us to do some things we have never done before….and that results in us changing. Change is going to occur whether or not we actively participate, but when we use our faith we have some input into the shape of the change…and that’s growth.

I have two young adult children who have bought the American gospel of comfort until we created the discomfort they needed to grow up. We required them to get out to provide for themselves.

Michael, this article is a much needed message for the people of this country. Thank you.

I have two especially challenging students in my AP English Literature and Composition class this year. Reflecting on my interactions with them has forced me to ask myself vital questions and has led me to practical metaphors.

I am a mortgage loan officer in what many consider the worst time to be in the business.  This is an area of life that causes much discomfort…financial and emotional.  I do agree, anything worth working towards does not come without any pain.  I have a disabiled son of 23 that has to deal with more physical and social pain than I will ever deal with.   Thanks for your blog…
Geoff

Michael, I am amazed by the stamina of Dean and what he has done. Your conclusion “Get comfortable, stagnate or stretch yourself” rings a positive bell in me.  However, I raise a flag of concern for Dean, and hence maybe (unsure) see Dean as an extreme example of ‘stagnate or stretch’.  I assume he is a single man because this appears to have taken over his life.  I could be wrong on this. I also hope he is not an obsessive compulsive type and has a healthy BMI.   I wish him well.

Sometimes I’m comfortable, sometimes I’m not. I think balance is the key. Sometimes being comfortable is the best thing for me. I’m rested, calming my nervous system, nurturing my brain through meditation, etc. At other times, “pushing” can feel good and be necessary. I don’t believe in extremism on either end. For example, sleeping only 4 hours a night will likely make you uncomfortable in the long run. There is a lot of research that links lack of sleep to a variety of health problems over time. Not to mention the harm caused to the body due to running a lot. If that is your choice in life, so be it. But, I won’t pretend there isn’t a cost to being extremely uncomfortable like this, which could eventually lead to much more serious uncomfortableness. That is not a choice I want to make.

I think this is one of my favorite articles this year. I have a motto that I drill into both mine and my son’s head: Learn how to suffer physically and mentally!   You nailed it when you said ‘comfort is overrated’ because it is. Comfort is a great thing but it should not be the end-all.

I just wrote about this on my blog… Phillipians 4:6-9 also comes to mind… We just got news of more “discomfort” tonight… I’m really thankful for this post and the source of all Peace (Jesus)!

Great article and it reminds me of some thoughts I’ve been having lately!  I’m a pastor and been thinking much about the discomfort of memorizing scripture.  It seems like unproductive time.  It can be frustratingly difficult.  It forces us to slow down and focus on just one thing at a time…which we don’t like.  Yet, I have come to believe that it has great benefits (Josh. 1:8 promises that it leads us to be “prosperous and successful” in all we do) – some of which are simply because of the discomfort we endure in doing it!   BTW – as a family we are doing a memorization program at our church, called Memory Madness.  My wife, oldest daughter (8) and I all just recited 100 verses, my son (6) did 40 verses – it was hard, but so worth it!   We are gonna keep adding more verses on!

Hello, Michael. In regard to your question about discomfort in one’s life: for me, I am pushing myself to create fairly large pastel landscapes which, for me, are very challenging. I am accustomed to creating in pencil. With that medium it doesn’t seem to matter if I overthink. The work turns out the way I want it. With pastel, overthinking leads to disaster—for me, anyway. The skyscapes seem easier to some degree, but only because I love skies!

It actually is agonizing to work rapidly in color, blending with knuckles and with the heel of the hand (in the skyscapes), but a day or so later, good feelings take over and I forget the pain which, though not physical, is still sharply felt.

The more of this I do, the more enjoyable it becomes.  I worry less about making unfixable mistakes when I remind myself of the sentence I read somewhere; “they make paper every day.”  So, in this way I believe I’m growing.

Do you ever get an emial at just the right time? This happened for me. I recently have decided to take a step back from my normal job to start my own business. While it is scary to try and figure out how to sustain my income, this posting is just another sign that what I am doing is right.

Keep up the great work.