"Ease" doesn't mean staying comfortable
Years ago (we think it may have been in 2010), Pete and I committed to doing one thing a day that scared us. Every Sunday night, we would each write a list of the "scary" things we'd done that week. At first, we wrote in normal-sized handwriting, listing seven things apiece. By the end of the year, we were writing in super tiny handwriting, listing 30 to 40 things each. Doing things that made us uncomfortable had become more than a practice, it had become a way of life.
Here are some of the things I currently do on at least a weekly basis that make me uncomfortable:
dive into cold water
every interval workout
every strength workout
improv class
write emails to you
record episodes of The Find Your Awesome Podcast
I don't do these things to punish myself. I don't do these things from a pushy "Type A" place. I do these things for future me. I do them because I want to be healthier, stronger, fitter and faster. I do them because I want to serve the world. I do them to boost my bravery. I do them because I want to be aligned and sparkly.
And I do them because I love them. Wait. What? How can I love being uncomfortable?
Because flow happens when we're uncomfortable. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (his last name is pronounced as "cheek-sent-me-high"), the psychologist known for researching flow describes flow as "…being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you’re using your skills to the utmost.”
Flow feels good. When we're in flow, we experience ease.
And flow happens when we're doing something challenging enough that it makes us uncomfortable, but not so challenging that it's not worth trying. For instance, maybe running intervals at a 6-minute per mile pace feels scary, but running intervals at a 4-minute pace feels impossible to you at this time. If that's the case, you will probably experience flow when you try running intervals at a 6-minute pace, but are more likely to quit when told to run at a 4-minute pace.
Whatever makes you uncomfortable, go do it. Be brave. Go find your flow.
May your day be filled with love + joy + ease + play + magic + miracles. I love you.
Love,
Kelsey
P.S. That secret code I sent out yesterday expires tomorrow. Use JOYISHERE for $50 off a Human Design Reading.
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