Being Uncomfortable
This week, the feed is full of optimistic essays and prompts to challenge yourself, get uncomfortable, and break into mastering the skills you need to go further with your goals. I promise this is not about that.
I do believe that challenges and learning new skills are important and inspiring. I am on board with that 100 percent. It’s the push to go into your discomfort zone that I’d like to talk about.
Let’s be honest. There are skills I had when I was younger that I no longer have. All skills do not endure. Why does no one ever mention this? Skills are not all like riding a bike; they don’t always come back to you. Riding a bike doesn’t even come back easily to some of us. If I’m uncomfortable at the thought of doing certain things now, there’s a reason behind the discomfort. Sometimes, there’s a history I’ve lived, a bad experience, a lesson learned, a physical limitation, an emotional barrier, a financial constraint. Being frustrated because you want to do something but don’t know how to do it is not the same as an anxious fear of doing it or physical pain when doing it.
Sometimes, I’ve learned, it’s more healthy for a project when I not only accept but embrace my limitations.
I’m here today to say, don’t beat yourself up. Listen to the discomfort. Take time to reflect on where it is coming from. Take comfort in the fact that there is usually more than one way to get to where you want to go. Take stock of where you are. Consider what skills you can achieve. Find your own beauty, on your own path.
Happy New Year.
How about you? Did you need to hear this today? I would love to hear from you.
This Is Not About is written by Ada Austen, the author of Better Late Than Never, a multicultural second-chance romance set on the beaches and boardwalks of the New Jersey Shore. It is the New Jersey Romance Writers 2021 Golden Leaf Winner - Best Book by NJ Author.