Is it true we have a natural resistance to change? If we dig a little deeper we might find that resistance to change is usually a symptom of a natural resistance to feeling incompetent. Humiliation is a deep fear we all possess; we don’t want to feel or look incompetent and change often has the potential to activate that feeling.
What if we conditioned ourselves to feel good about pushing our personal boundaries? What if our fear of feeling incompetent was less than our desire to learn something new? This won’t happen naturally. It has to be learned and maintained on a regular basis. If not, we will slowly drift into losing our curiosity, and with that, our vitality. Contentment is a great virtue, but its shadow side is apathy.
“Living with fear stops us from taking risks, and if you don’t go out on the branch, you’re never going to get the best fruit.”
– Sarah Parish
People tend to see danger where there is only difference. Learn to value discomfort, disequilibrium and disorientation. That is where our greatest growth takes place. It is in the discomfort zone where we grow and learn. Discomfort does not lead to breakdown; it leads to breakthrough. By avoiding discomfort, we can survive. However, stepping into discomfort is how we thrive.
Developing ourselves includes developing our minds. This does not happen without discomfort and occasional disorientation. Embrace the change!
