Discomfort = growth !!️💡

I have been thinking lateley a lot about growth and discomfort and how those two strongly relate to one another. In the spirit of this message, I decided to put myself out of my comfort zone and up on the stage of a live stand up comedy show. Yesss, I will do stand up comedy! Now, I do think I am funny (most of the time at least), but it was never the ultimate goal of mine. However, this time around that is exactly what I will need to do - make other people laugh.

There is definiteley a lot of preasure to begin with that is probably just in my head. Even as I write this I feel a mix of emotions. On one hand I am excited, on the other I am shitting my pants. I guess both do make me feel alive after all lol.

Today’s word count: 652

Estimated read time: 3 min 18 sec.

Quote 1:

"Life begins at the end of your comfort zone."

- Neale Donald Walsch (author, spiritual teacher)

Close your eyes and try to go back in time. When was the last time you truly felt alive? What were you doing? How did it feel? Were you comfortable, or did it feel more like stress?

Speaking from personal experience, there was a moment long ago at a social event when I saw a beautiful girl across the room. I was immediately attracted to her and felt the urge to approach her. But I froze. I wanted to walk over, yet I didn’t. I found myself locked in an internal struggle, trying to overcome my fear. I justified my hesitation by telling myself I didn’t know what to say.

Finally, I decided to act. I told myself, "Just start walking toward her, and by the time you get there, you’ll think of something to say." A few seconds later, I found myself standing in front of her, but my mind was blank. My mouth opened, and all I managed was a simple "Hi." She responded with a "Hi" back, and guess what? I lived to tell the tale.

The moral of this story is that the things we truly want in life are often just a short walk away—on the other side of our comfort zone. Take a first step, and you’ll be amazed by the magic that unfolds.

Quote 2:

"You can choose courage, or you can choose comfort, but you cannot choose both."

- Brené Brown (researcher, bestselling author)

It is important to remember that courage and comfort are two diametrically opposite things. One cannot have both at the same time. To grow, we must often choose courage, even when it means stepping into discomfort and uncertainty.

Quote 3:

"A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are for."

- John A. Shedd (writer, philosopher)

I saved the best for last—love this quote!

When you look at it broadly, we as humans are built to move, adapt, and challenge ourselves. We are meant to engage with the world around us and shape the life we want to be a part of. It’s that inner drive, the one that’s often hard to put into words, that pushes us forward.

That being said, I know that living a courageous life is hard—but so is living a life you’re not proud of. At the end of the day, the choice is yours: decide what kind of life you want to live. Choose your hard.

If leaving your comfort zone means growth, what can you do this week that would make you proud to have stepped out of it? Take action, do something that makes you proud, and share your experience with the community in the comments below. I’m excited to see your answers and I am sure the other readers are as well.

Love you, Igor