Embrace Discomfort to Grow

This post was originally published on June 11, 2020, on Instagram as part of Her Growth Collective.

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Today we focus on something most of us go out of our way to avoid. In many ways, 2020 has forced this into our lives. It's the reason why sayings like #survivenotthrive are starting to make their way into our vernacular. I'm talking about discomfort.

When Covid-19 arrived on our shores discomfort staked its ground. We found ourselves in awkward conversations on subjects that were previously unimaginable to most - like whether or not the World Health Organization (WHO) is a reputable source of information during a global pandemic. That led to uncomfortable conversations about social distancing with friends and family who had not yet grasped the seriousness of the pandemic.

These conversations created tension in our social circles and our society until the discomfort reached a breaking point and things changed. Governor's took a leadership role and helped us prioritize the preservation of life in most states by ordering people to stay home. Hundreds of thousands of lives were saved because the discomfort grew.

Then non-essential working families found themselves at home together, day after day and week after week. Husbands, wives, and roommates had to find a way to work and live together with only 24-48 hours notice. Kids came home as schools closed and our homes suddenly felt smaller than they had the week before.

Moms, who already carry a disproportionately heavy home management workload, also found themselves newly appointed homeschool teachers. Self-care became an imperative to avoid breaking under the weight of it all.

Dad's watched, and for many men and women discomfort with this inequity grew until they did something to change it. Husbands volunteered to help more and wives learned to stand up for themselves when needed. For many households, growing discomfort led to re-balanced workloads and a growing respect for women.

Then came the political culture wars around a simple piece of fabric. Anti-social distancing protests led us to understand that white men and women can carry riffles into government buildings and we call it their right to free speech. That discomfort lingered quietly.

As our discomfort grew we started to question the role we played in upholding systemic racism.

As our discomfort grew we started to become more vocal and truly live into our values.

As our discomfort grew we started to educate ourselves and listen more deeply. We started to grow as human beings.

2020 is only half over and I feel fairly certain that much more discomfort lies ahead. As we move forward from here, I would like you to consider a new perspective. While we might run from discomfort, what we are really running from is change.

Today we stand on the shores of the world we know, both as individual people and as a nation. The world we say we want lies on the far shore. We can see it. It is within reach. The only thing stopping us is the river of discomfort that we must cross to reach it. Embrace the discomfort. Wade into the river. It's the only way to reach the other side.

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This post is written in partnership with #HerGrowthCollective, encouraging women to walk the path of self-development together.