Get Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable
Why Pushing Yourself Into Uncomfortable Situations Will Lead To Success
Students, parents and Alumni piled into the room one by one. I smiled, shook their hands, and showed them their seats. It was this year’s “Student Send Off.” It’s an event where upcoming students are welcomed into the university by alumni. It’s an opportunity for new students to ask questions, make some connections and prepare for the next chapter of their life.
Although I was the lead organizer for the event, I wasn’t really sure what to expect, as this was my first year taking on this project. I didn’t know if I was supposed to speak to the audience, or if another representative from the University would be there to say a few words. But, it quickly became obvious that nobody else was available to take on that role. Time was ticking and the new students were starting to wonder when someone would take the mic.
In my mind, I started to come up with lots of ideas for ways I could completely avoid talking in front of the crowd.
Then I thought back to a conversation that I had with a new student earlier that night. When I asked if she was excited about University, she expressed her feelings of nervousness. She had never lived on her own before and never really traveled too far away from home.
I explained that there was nothing to be afraid of and that plenty of people are in the exact same boat. I then expressed the importance of pushing yourself beyond the comfort zone in order to meet new people and experience new things.
As I thought back to this conversation, I realized how ridiculous it was for me to be having a difficult time approaching a microphone. How could I be dishing out advice that I am not actually following?
I suppose I was just feeling a little uncomfortable. This is a feeling that everyone has experienced when they’re put in a situation they may not be used to. Oftentimes, we run away from this feeling, but I challenge you to do the opposite. Stop running away from the things that make you uncomfortable, and instead, start embracing them. In other words, get comfortable with being uncomfortable!
Unless of course you have no desire to be anything different from what you already are…
Think about it this way. What is the worst possible thing that could happen? Is it really that bad? I doubt it! If you knew that no matter what happened, you could handle it, what actions would you take that you aren’t taking now? What conversations would you engage in that you’ve been putting off? What situations would you be putting yourself in where you’re presenting yourself more fully and boldly in your own life – and in doing so, opening up the possibility for new opportunities, new relationships, new partnerships, new ideas to take bloom?
If you look at anybody who has ever achieved success, you will quickly see, they didn’t achieve that by staying within their comfort zone.
No, instead, they continued to push themselves and were willing to risk failure, knowing that the biggest risk is not taking any risk at all.
So, next time you are feeling a little nervous or uncomfortable, grab a pair and take the freakin mic! We’re only alive for so long. We have to encourage ourselves to do things that will open the doors to new learning experiences and allow us to grow, regardless of how uneasy it makes us feel in the beginning. Turn your nervous energy into excitement and instead of thinking of all the bad things that could happen, think, what is the cost of inaction? Don’t limit your potential. I dare you, go out find an uncomfortable situation!
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Charlie Connely is the founder of Biz Growth Solutions, a resourceful blog that is dedicated to inspiring people to create a business and life that they love. You can find out more at http://www.bizgrowthsolutions.com or follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BizLifeMastery
