Happy New Month. It's June already.
I am sorry I am always sorry on this blog like I start almost every post every new month with an apology. But I would rather apologize than have you think I have not noticed my absence on the blog.
So, this morning after a series of work meetings and threat of heavy rain (the rain has ended sef) I decided to listen to a TED Talk by a Nigerian blogger, Luvvie Ajayi. Watching TED Talks is quickly becoming habit for me. The talk was titled "GET COMFORTABLE WITH UNCOMFORTABLE" click here to watch after learning I thought why don't I share this piece of beautiful information I just learnt with you all so that's where my blog post title came from.
Let's dig in
Sometimes I ponder if my original name was Comfort because I tend to love comfort more than most people in the world. I often feel weak and breathless if I am not in my comfort zone. As a child the concept of comfort was introduced to me as all that I ever needed to be in life. I was told to do well in school so that I would get a good job that will leave me having a comfortable life in future or marry a financially stable man so that I will raise kids that will be comfortable and have a comfortable family or even told to believe in God so that I would have a comfortable afterlife far from the lake of fire. Basically, all the effort we make in life is so that we can be comfortable. It is beautiful if you have a comfortable life but for Oliver Twists like moi I've always craved for more than just comfort felt like it's too average.
That's why as much as I love the word and can't seem to leave my comfort zone I bring a message of repentance telling you that we (I and you - cos I need it first ) have to get UNCOMFORTABLE WITH BEING COMFORTABLE and COMFORTABLE with BEING UNCOMFORTABLE you have my permission to wonder what I am talking about cos I know what I am talking about. Also, you might wonder if I am alright and the answer is I'm not. I am tired of being comfortable (yeah, the human in me knows I do not like comfortable but somehow I am always in my comfort zone).
The problem really is that in the long run comfort is quite stagnant if you look at it. Comfort can be likened to satisfaction and the flip side is that the dictionary defines satisfaction as a state of being satisfied (help me ask them why I would ask you what is satisfaction and you would tell me it is being satisfied). But my point is satisfaction is momentary. If you got thirsty today and you drink a bottle of water you will be satisfied but I can promise you that you will get thirsty again tomorrow and you will have to satisfy that craving again. Comfort is the water you drank today in this moment of thirst. Tomorrow we will need to get comfortable again. So you see, comfort is momentary that's why you need to seek a higher drink like gin (i'm kidding). But you need to get okay with the idea of moving up the comfort ladder and the higher you climb the farther from the ground you will be and hence the greater your fear of breaking your back if you fall.
My senior Oga in comfort matters, Bill Eckstrom in another TED Talk titled "Why Comfort will ruin your life" speaks about four rings. Don't ask me go watch it here . I'll be nice aand spill but he speaks about stagnation, order , complexity and chaos. These are like the "comfort" rings. I told you guys I just got a new habit where I watch TED Talks all the time. Point here is I agree with him that comfort will ruin your life.
Example let me take you through comfort ruining my life
I am scared of dogs and being immersed in water (also known as swimming and showering). So I do not touch dogs, cats too and stuff like that but dogs are my main message and I do not take showers either (I did not say bath oh before you will start saying which kind girl be this one). Yes I am a proper naija pikin I prefer to use a bucket and my reason is because that way I can control where and how the water touches my body.
Likewise if I go to visit a friend who owns a dog, they would usually have to hold the dog as far as possible from me but at eyesight distance so that I know the dog will not run to me. If you have an indoor dog, then please do visit me and no I did not have any traumatic dog experience as a child. I just grew up with the greatest fear for dogs.
My point is simple a lot of people bath with showers and others sleep with their dogs on the same bed sometimes but not Joy because she sees danger and death because of those normal human activities. Why is this? I am too comfortable in my comfort zone which is not making any effort to try and get uncomfortable instead I have labelled it fear or phobia and feel like I have the right to stay stagnant in that state but let me tell you how my comfort has ruined my life.
I moved to my aunt's house late last year and for some reason they only have showers in the bathrooms and because I am usually too tired from work on the weekends I was not able to get a bucket. So I had to leave my comfort zone and use the shower if I will get to work and I was on low cut so I was supposed to enjoy the water on my scalp. Previously I didn't believe I could use a shower I thought I would die or something. But when served two rather uncomfortable options I had to choose to get comfortable with uncomfortable.
Option 1
Go to work everyday without bathing .
Option 2
Bath with a shower and go to work clean and as the babe that I am.
Guess what I chose. Don't judge some people would choose option 1.
Today being 1st June join me celebrate my six-month anniversary since I became a professional shower bather (I am high on rain guys. Also I am listening to Wizkid).I am still scared of dlions (dogs I mean) only cos I am a human and it's a ladder, so one step at a time but hey after COVID-19 is history; I hope to start my swimming lessons and make some doggie friends.
In essence, all this my best in English essay I've written for you so far is just so that in the end we can be motivated to see COMFORT as a friendly enemy (frenemy). We need to get out of our comfort zones, yeah you'll be scared rest assured but take the risk to climb higher on the ladder. See every comfort as a plane to climb to the next level of comfort which might be quite uncomfortable at first. But once you get comfortable with that level you need to move to the next immediately.
It's like a life principle e.g in gaming when you start level one to five it is easy and comfortable. Levels six to ten will be hard and uncomfortable but once you pass those levels you'll see how easy they really are. That way you're getting uncomfortable with being in level five which is a seemingly comfortable state.
I really hope this will help you going further. I would like to know something that you would like to get uncomfortable with in the comment sections. I have shared my darkest weakness in this post and I would like to know yours. Let's hold each other accountable. You can DM me on instagram here or twitter here. Just tell me you're from the blog I would love to connect with you.
Till my next post.
All my Love,
Jak.
1 Comments
I'm scared of bats. I'm convinced God did not make them.
ReplyDelete