We need to stop seeking comfort and get uncomfortable, now! After finishing up the Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter I took some time to reflect on his message. The book focuses on discomfort and the benefits of being in discomfort. It’s interesting to me that we often couch discomfort as a way to be more comfortable. It seems as if even saying the word ‘discomfort’ is too much for the average person to cope with. Instead, we need to say ‘stretch’ our comfort zone or ‘move outside’ of our comfort zone. It’s not embracing discomfort so much as increasing where we are comfortable.
Michael shines a burning bright light on the topic of discomfort, like the full sun in the arctic on the snow (if you read it, you’ll appreciate the analogy). Michael doesn’t just talk about discomfort, Michael inspires with a fantastic mix of science, experience, empirical evidence, and tremendous studies. Michael shares his conversations with everyone from leading geneticists to Buddhist monks and wilderness hunters.
One of my favorite takeaways from the book was the idea of the Misogi Challenge. Misogi is a Japanese Shinto practice of ritual of cleansing the body. The ritual is much more than this as is the challenge. The challenge dictates that we need to seek out discomfort. We need to attempt radically hard things. With a 50% chance of success or less. That by experiencing this challenge we completely alter how we perceive time, the world around us, how we respond and react to our everyday problems in life and how we reset our understanding of our own capabilities. This isn’t meant to be an Instagram posted story or a normal competitive event. It’s supposed to be something completely outside of our daily lives and training. Something like say, carrying a boulder under water for a certain distance….chances are you haven’t trained for that.
This is a deeply personal and intimate challenge. It’s, by design, for you, not the rest of the world. Yet it can and will change how you interact with the rest of the world.
Michael urges us to take at least 1 Misogi per year. Personally, I love the idea of doing something that is so outside the bounds of normal in your life, it will forever serve as a bookmark for you and as a standout in the chapters of your life. If that’s what it means to stop seeking comfort, I’m all about it!
For some other ideas on how to find discomfort in your life and the benefits around it, keep an eye on our podcast. Our most recent guest, Daniel Blue, talked about how he used the discomfort in his early life to fuel his business and create the future he wanted for himself and his family. You can check out our podcast here!
If you’re looking to change your course and really step it up, we’ve got you covered too. You can always reach out to us for help with 2 on 1 coaching. You can get a better feel for our process, Mastery With Science here.
If you’re interested in coaching and are afraid you can’t afford our services, think again! We offer a scholarship for deserving individuals and that may be you! You can take a look at our scholarship and apply here!
