virgin islands scene

Change alone is eternal, perpetual, immortal.
-- Arthur Schopenhauer
 

 

Tuesday, September 10, 2002

Uncomfortable

One of the greatest barriers to achievement is the fact that the process can be uncomfortable. By very definition, achievement is the act of creating something which hasn’t existed before, and as such it is a journey into the unknown. Even when that achievement is something you desire very much, it is still something you have not known before. When you’re moving toward that achievement, and especially as you begin to actually reach it, you start to feel uncomfortable.

It’s natural to feel uncomfortable in new situations. That discomfort is no reason to turn back, no reason to abandon the achievement you so deeply desire. There is an assumption that this kind of discomfort is something to be avoided. But is it really so bad?

You’ve certainly been able to handle new situations before, and though they’ve been uncomfortable at first, you’ve eventually become completely at home with them. The discomfort brought about by pursuing achievement works the same way. It is only temporary, yet by going through it, onward toward the achievement, you’ll create something with positive and lasting value.

Achievement can be uncomfortable, but it’s really not so bad when you think about it. You’ll be enjoying the value you’re creating long after the discomfort has faded away.

— Ralph Marston

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