DISCOMFORT as a Blessing and Wake-Up Call

The day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom. --Anais Nin

As I’ve reflected on possible messages for 2019, it occurred to me that the new year will be one of words. Words are often misunderstood or wielded as weapons to divide us from one another. But when you take a close look at your relationship to certain words, you add another tool to your healing efforts. So each month in 2019 I’ll be writing about a different word and how you can claim it for your personal growth.

This month the idea of DISCOMFORT is calling to me. Specifically, I’ve been asking: Why isn’t it OK to just sit in a state of discomfort?

It’s one thing to acknowledge that being human is about doing your personal growth work, but it’s another thing to accept that the work often involves discomfort.

Over the holidays, I found myself being triggered by family dynamics, but this time, instead of becoming angry, I imagined the part of myself that sometimes feels misunderstood and only wants to be heard and held. I asked my heart, “What’s really going on with me right now?”

The answer I received had to do with powerlessness, which occurs whenever we give our own power away to something else. When this happens, we disconnect from our “I am” presence. The “I am” consciousness lives in the moment, no matter how uncomfortable it is. The “I am” presence is committed to being authentic rather than reaching for a quick fix or an escape. It knows that discomfort is simply an invitation to wake up.

As the quote says, it’s just as painful to stay trapped in the bud as it is to blossom. We’re always looking for an easier, softer way, but there really isn’t one. We all need to face discomfort.

But that’s hard to do alone. That’s why I recommend these steps for dealing with discomfort:

Find your pod.

A community of whales is called a pod, and whales are very similar to humans in the way they learn, hunt, and socialize. What I’ve learned from observing whales is that they show us how to find harmony in our lives, and harmony eliminates discomfort.

Choose between fear or love.

At the root of all discomfort is a call for change. How will you meet this call? Will you stay small and fearful or expand into something new?

Breathe.

Connect to your discomfort and identify where it lives in your body. Breathe into that area and allow the body to be a messenger.  

In my work, I facilitate this process. I help you connect to your “I am” presence so that all parts of you can be seen and heard. When that happens, you can move from victimhood to power; discomfort dissolves and love has room to bloom.