The Reward of Discomfort

Yo,

There I was looking down at the 40 degree F (4 C) icy cold water thinking to myself I do not want to get into this cold ass water.

System override activate!

📍I move through the thoughts, set my timer for 5 min and get into the water.

Immediately, the fight or flight response hits me. “GET OUT!!” My mind yells.

I take a deep breathe in through my nose and then back through my nose.

In the past I would play mind games and tell myself the water is hot.

👉 Not today, I accepted the cold. I accepted the discomfort.

So much so that as soon as I was submerged up to my neck I started a mantra in my head “I don’t like this cold water, I’m uncomfortable and I’m going to breathe through it.”

In the background I could still hear the quiet voice within me screaming for me to get out. I came back to my mantra “I don’t like this cold water, I’m uncomfortable and I’m going to breathe through it.”

The longer I was in it the louder the voice grew, but my confidence grew as well. Every moment I spent overriding my body’s demand for comfort was a moment of mental strength I felt growing as well.

I was teaching my body that despite being uncomfortable I could make it through this if I just kept focusing on my breath and mantra in the present moment.

Before I knew it 5 min had elapsed and time was up. ⌛

I submerged my head under the water for 5 seconds for some bonus time and got up and out of the cold.

Nothing in my external world had changed, but everything in my internal world had changed and that made the world of difference.

I felt proud. Accomplished. And a little less of a victim.

One of the workers at my gym who had seen me in there told me he could never do that. That it wasn’t just too damn cold. I affirmed to him that he could, but might just need to build up to it.

That’s life isn’t it?

Despite how good or bad our external environment is we are going to feel bad sometimes. Those bad feelings can easily lead to a lack of action and consistency. I’ve been there many times before.

👉 I start a workout plan. Damn, this is too hard. I’m too tired. I want to skip today.

👉 I start a business project. Man, this isn’t working fast enough. I want to give up.

👉 I start a relationship. Why are they being like that? I want to bail.

👉 I start a meditation practice. Isn’t there something more productive I could be doing right now?

That’s life. Starting can be hard. Staying consistent can feel impossible.

I’m not enlightened. I’m not a guru. I’ve just seen the patterns.

I’ve felt discomfort. Wanted to hit the eject button. And many times had.

What I’ve learned through my years of trying though is that if I stick with it I will be rewarded. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. Maybe not next week. But if I keep leaning into the discomfort, embracing the discomfort and allowing my experience to guide me; I’m going to eventually get somewhere better than where I am today.

Life is like that. It’s an iterative growing process.

We all start from the same place. Many of us are blessed with external advantages that others don’t have and many of us are blessed with internal advantages that others don’t have.

Really, it doesn’t matter either way.

We have to stop looking around comparing ourselves to others and just embrace our own heroes journey.

When we do that we reclaim all our power and give ourselves the best shot possible to achieve whatever it is we think we want.

Let the discomfort be as it is. It’s never going anywhere. It just shows up in different ways. As long as you are a master of your focus and choices you will find your way.

Sending love and blessings to you as you start your week.

Brandon