Find comfort in discomfort
Lately, I’ve been waking up an hour earlier than necessary and taking bone-chilling cold showers. Now, you may be asking why. The reason is I’ve been challenging myself to deal with being uncomfortable. Yes, you read that right. I’ve been actively seeking out things that promote discomfort. No, I’m not a masochist. This new undertaking is in efforts to become a better me.
I’ve always been fascinated by the malleability of humans. I’ve spent my entire life partaking in activities that strengthen the body, such as martial arts, lifting weights, and things of that sort. But these activities are enjoyable. The things that I typically avoid are those that are remotely unpleasant. Why do I avoid them? Because they usually entail doing something that makes me uncomfortable. Being uncomfortable is something none of us enjoy, but many believe that being uncomfortable is necessary for becoming the best version of ourselves.
My fascination with discomfort and its benefits stems from the military. I had family members in service and planned to join the Marines when I turned eighteen years old. However, things were getting chaotic at the time in the middle east, and my cousin, a first sergeant in the Marines, discouraged me from joining. I didn’t go, but I’ve always maintained great admiration for the discipline that permeates the men and women of service. These men and women not only live in discomfort but are hardened by it. It’s easy to see why they are some of the most resilient people on the planet.
David Goggins, a retired United States Navy SEAL, is one of those resilient individuals. He is my most significant influence on living uncomfortably. Before joining the service, he was, in his words, a “fat, dumb loser." So, how did he go from that to running ultramarathons, holding a world record for most pull-ups, and a Navy SEAL? By callousing the mind with discomfort. He postulates that our brains can build calluses and be strengthened similar to the way our hands become hardened when performing labor or lifting weights. He changed the trajectory of his life by merely challenging himself to embrace being uncomfortable in all aspects of life.
Another influence of mine is Jocko Willing. Jocko, like Goggins, is a retired Navy SEAL. He commanded SEAL team three during the battle of Ramadi, an infamous battle that occurred in 2006 during the Iraq War. He's also an author and spoke at a Ted Talk on taking ownership of one's life. The man is a badass. Like Goggins, Jocko is adamant that being uncomfortable is necessary to maximize your human potential. It's an exercise that cultivates mental, physical and emotional mettle that translates to every aspect of life.
We live in a time where we're always comfortable. We aren't required to hunt or grow food to eat or gather materials for shelter or warmth. Everything is incredibly easy nowadays, and I think being comfortable all the time can be detrimental to our human potential. When we live within our comfort zones, it becomes the norm and stunts growth, development, and prevents exploration of life. When a person becomes comfortable being uncomfortable, they acknowledge their weaknesses, shortcomings, and insecurities and take them head-on.
I’ve always been fascinated by the malleability of humans. I’ve spent my entire life partaking in activities that strengthen the body, such as martial arts, lifting weights, and things of that sort. But these activities are enjoyable. The things that I typically avoid are those that are remotely unpleasant. Why do I avoid them? Because they usually entail doing something that makes me uncomfortable. Being uncomfortable is something none of us enjoy, but many believe that being uncomfortable is necessary for becoming the best version of ourselves.
My fascination with discomfort and its benefits stems from the military. I had family members in service and planned to join the Marines when I turned eighteen years old. However, things were getting chaotic at the time in the middle east, and my cousin, a first sergeant in the Marines, discouraged me from joining. I didn’t go, but I’ve always maintained great admiration for the discipline that permeates the men and women of service. These men and women not only live in discomfort but are hardened by it. It’s easy to see why they are some of the most resilient people on the planet.
David Goggins, a retired United States Navy SEAL, is one of those resilient individuals. He is my most significant influence on living uncomfortably. Before joining the service, he was, in his words, a “fat, dumb loser." So, how did he go from that to running ultramarathons, holding a world record for most pull-ups, and a Navy SEAL? By callousing the mind with discomfort. He postulates that our brains can build calluses and be strengthened similar to the way our hands become hardened when performing labor or lifting weights. He changed the trajectory of his life by merely challenging himself to embrace being uncomfortable in all aspects of life.
Another influence of mine is Jocko Willing. Jocko, like Goggins, is a retired Navy SEAL. He commanded SEAL team three during the battle of Ramadi, an infamous battle that occurred in 2006 during the Iraq War. He's also an author and spoke at a Ted Talk on taking ownership of one's life. The man is a badass. Like Goggins, Jocko is adamant that being uncomfortable is necessary to maximize your human potential. It's an exercise that cultivates mental, physical and emotional mettle that translates to every aspect of life.
We live in a time where we're always comfortable. We aren't required to hunt or grow food to eat or gather materials for shelter or warmth. Everything is incredibly easy nowadays, and I think being comfortable all the time can be detrimental to our human potential. When we live within our comfort zones, it becomes the norm and stunts growth, development, and prevents exploration of life. When a person becomes comfortable being uncomfortable, they acknowledge their weaknesses, shortcomings, and insecurities and take them head-on.
As Jocko states, "Discipline equals freedom". I'm slightly familiar with the Marines my father was one, but he didn't talk about it much, and told me not to join the Marines out of all of them. With the Army, what you choose for your job can really help or hurt you when you leave the service. I know if you ask a Marine they will tell you that all Marines are trained Infantry first, then they learn their other jobs.
ReplyDeleteWith the Army, you could become a JAG officer or admin specialist (to name a couple) and never see outside of an office. Sure there are negative connotations used to describe personnel other than grunts, but I wish I had chose a different job/MOS so I would have some actual experience in a field I was interested in and not just security or law enforcement. Unless you go into higher levels of the Infantry e.g special operations, then you can retire early (after 10 years) and have no shortage of work once you leave service.
The good thing is (as far as I know) you can sign up until you are 35yo (for non-prior service). If you already have college out of the way, you can get repayment for your loans and have the option of being a commissioned officer or warrant. If I had it to do over I think I would have gone into the Criminal Investigation Command (CID) as a warrant officer. I think I would have enjoyed my time more, and would have stayed in for the full 20.
Not to say I didn't have a good time, I was fortunate enough to serve with Jocko's SEAL Team for a few months. We only had a handful of missions together, we mainly just operated in the same area while they trained the Iraqi special forces, so we would see each other briefly at the staging areas if nothing else.
Needless to say, I think there is a place for everyone in the military, you just have to find the right job that you would enjoy. I'm sure your cousin has told you, don't believe anything the recruiter tells you unless it is in writing. They need the numbers for their job, so they will say anything, and promise it down the road just to get that signature. I've worked in an IT office with senior officers and enlisted, and their lives were pretty easy. The only bothersome things they had to worry abut was getting a command position to further their career, since it is either move up, or move out.
I enjoyed my time, but now I am playing catch up to try and find a place back in the civilian world. It is true that discomfort helps us become a better person and can show us who we really are, and what we can achieve. No mater if you serve or not, it is a good philosophy to live by.
I definitely appreciate the message of your post. Oftentimes I find myself becoming too comfortable. Whether that be the easy access to entertainment, food, etc., I find I'm not challenging myself as much as I should be. Taking that into account, I try to do things that are physically challenging such as long hikes or pushing my work outs harder and harder. I think people become comfortable when they don't have a tangible goal or something to work toward.
ReplyDeleteHave you heard the interview on Joe Rogan's podcast with David Goggins? It's really good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tSTk1083VY