The wonderful restorative weekend away, and my proclaiming internally, the recognition of my healed state, was powerful. I started hearing a different type of internal monologue altogether: light, observant, curious, encouraging, reflective, chatty even! All things started to feel possible, even, and especially somehow, if there was discomfort on the way. What I’m trying to share here is that ‘hurting’ shifted to something different… The hurting receded as I rested and as I settled into the wonder of considering myself ‘healed’… and then instead when ‘discomfort’ arose in aiming to execute some action, I could throw myself into it and burn through it. An example: we went wild swimming in a mountain river. The discomfort was the doorway to a greater feeling state. I wasn’t shrinking from discomfort as if it might exhaust or finish me off.
I was left thinking of the possibilities at hand if I could really embrace discomfort. Imagine… I could even get physically fit again. I could reorientate my business. I could say no when needed. I could get stuff done.
Your thoughts, dear voice of my wisdom?
Sometimes it can be hard to discern what is discomfort and what is the egg cracking. The ‘egg cracking’ is the cocoon analogy, or any analogy which points to breakdown as a route to breakthrough.
Or the seed opening in the soil so the shoot can poke through.
Exactly. Our advice to you is to note the breakdown as having occurred. See the egg shells behind you, the cocoon on the ground, the shoot as having broken through the soil.
Aha, I get stuck on this notion of being on a cusp, don’t I?
Exactly. The more you can identify with having left the cusp, or the breakdown/breakthrough moment, behind you, the sooner you can embrace the idea that all is moving smoothly forward. And as thought makes thing, this is an affirming idea.
What about this discomfort though?
The discomfort is gold dust! Yes! Discomfort is the feeling of growth, expansion, development.
I recoiled from discomfort, as a protective / coping mechanism, because of old fears. I can work with it though, can’t I?
Indeed! Why not equate your feelings of discomfort with notions of attaining mastery?
Well, yes. I like that. If I’m feeling discomfort it’s because I am mastering something. Like a ninja in training. Or a yogi on the mat. Or an athlete on the track.
Can I merge two concepts: embracing discomfort and attaining mastery?
Of course!
Ok. Ty. Blessed be my endeavours. Blessed be all our endeavours on this planet at this time of acute challenge and immense possibility. May we all embrace discomfort and attain mastery – of ourselves, of our free wills, of our kindness, of our selflessness, of our purposes, of our missions, of our care for each other.
Amen.
I am embracing discomfort and attaining mastery