Think about all your problems in life - almost all are due to the fear of discomfort - moving away from your comfort zone. Am I right!
Eating vegetables for many people, for example, brings discomfort. So does sitting in meditation, or or saying No to people, or even exercising. (Of course, different people are uncomfortable with different things, but you get the idea.)
And most people don’t like discomfort. They run from it.
So, How to become good with our discomfort?
Sit for 30 seconds in discomfort. If you’re averse to vegetables, try one green veggie today. Put it in your mouth, leave it there for 30 seconds. Don’t swallow. Keep chewing. Stay with the discomfort for 30 seconds. You probably won’t like it much, but that’s OK.
Practice being with your discomfort for 30 seconds and not more than that. Seek out for other discomforts and live that for just 30 seconds.
Magic happens once you learn to live for 30 seconds.
When things go wrong, when we’re not happy, when people are mean to us, when we are torn down by the dozen poisonous arrows of everyday life … we don’t want to say thank you. But in truth, this is the time when it matters most.
When life gets you down, when you are hurt or angry or confused or frustrated, take a moment to stop and close your eyes and find things to be thankful for. Your health, your family, your job, the house you live, the fact that you’ll have a next meal, the beauty of the world around you, the good people in your life. Whatever you can think of, be thankful for them … and express that gratitude somehow. Realize that all is not bad in this world, and be happy for that.
And then, when you’ve mastered that skill, think of the negative things in your life … and give thanks for them.
That person who was mean to you? Thank them for teaching you patience and understanding.
That person who hurts your ego? Thank him for teaching you humility.
The natural disaster you went through? Thank it for reminding you of what is important in life.
The illness you are going through? Thank it for making you stronger.
Anything negative in life is teaching you something. Just say thanks to negative things in life.
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We recently organized a seminar on Relationship Principles for Leaders by Dr. John Gray, the author of Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus. This seminar was attended by more than 1500 enthusiastic participants in Chennai, India.
The following presentation is a small synopsis of some of the learning's from that seminar. I was fortunate to emcee the entire program and kept the entire group in full learning mode, so that they can get benefited from this seminar.
