Hello,
How was your weekend? I just got back from a camping trip/retreat with some friends where we sat around in a circle and simply shared with each other what we were learning and how we were growing.
It occurred to me, as I did this, that my ability to grow as a human is directly related to my willingness to sit with discomfort. I learned this recently while sitting for four minutes in a bath tub full of ice.
“It’s just a little discomfort,” said the instructor whose only job was to keep me from screaming and jumping out of the top, “that’s all—just a little discomfort.”
And of course, this was a metaphor. The longer I sat in that tub, the more my body changed; the more I grew. And this has always been true:
The more I am able to sit down and write, the more creative I become.
The more I am able to sit with my feelings, the more sensitive I become.
The more I am able to bear the pain of any moment, the stronger I become.
My Jewish friend, Cathy, told me once while we were celebrating a seder dinner at her house on a Friday night, “The word sabbath means to sit,” she said. “Sabbath is a meditation!”
To sit is to meditate. To rest. To grow.
And as we learn to be with whatever is happening in the moment, we become more of what we are. We do not grow when moments are comfortable or even pain-free. We grow when we sit, when we endure, when we can be with the discomfort and realize, “Oh, hey, I’m still here.”
And after a weekend of giving thanks, I realize I am grateful for that: the ability to sit and endure and celebrate that I made it. I’m still here. And so are you.
Thank you.
Best,
Jeff
P.S. Did you see I’m doing a Black Friday/Cyber Monday promo? Get any of my writing courses for 50% off or get all four for 60% off! Click here to see the promo (discount automatically applied to the bundle when you click that link), or be sure to use the code HABIT2020 if you prefer to buy any individual course (promo code is applied to any individual course).
