This Is Uncomfortable
I heard a story about a now older gentleman who, 30 years prior, planted several trees on his property. The one telling me the story with a chuckle to his words told me he used to roll up newspapers and go outside and hit the trees.
He didn't water them.
He didn't stake them up.
He essentially beat them up.
Unlike his neighbors, the man realized that the harsh conditions of life and the strength to weather those storms allowed the trees to sink deeper roots.
The hard things produced the strength to grow into massive, beautiful trees that withstood anything coming their way. And 30 years later, he has proof of that.
I don't know if this is like the age-old fishing story.
I can't say I've ever seen anyone whack a tree with a newspaper to force deeper growth. But I do think there is a lot to learn from the story and implement into your story.
Here it is:
The hard, unexpected, and uncomfortable things can make you stronger. But you have to let them. You have to use them, not fear and avoid them.
Of course, it is biological to avoid hard things, and I prove why inside this podcast. But I also teach you that finding safety within hard things produces the most significant results. And safety is the key to health.
What I know about getting healthy and living well is that it will require hard and uncomfortable things. It will require you to engage with things you don't want to do. It will require you to push your body.
But your body was made to do hard things, and it's here that you create the greatest change.
The more you engage with the uncomfortable, the more comfortable you will get with it, and fewer threats will arise.
What It Takes To Get Healthy:
Honestly, getting healthy requires you to find this place where you:
Become comfortable with the uncomfortable.
Befriend uncertainty.
Embrace change.
And to clarify, it's not getting good at changing one thing but getting good at the art of change. You can't really change one thing unless you're okay to change a bunch of things.
The same is true for uncomfortable things.
I felt uncomfortable doing The Sex Talk last year. And I still feel slightly uncomfortable when it comes up in conversations or presentations. Just like my husband feels uncomfortable every time he comes on the podcast, and I feel uncomfortable sharing our deepest darkest secrets.
But the uncomfortable feelings don't paralyze me because I've learned to grow within the feeling rather than getting lost in the circumstance.
It's an internal focus rather than an external one that acknowledges and provides safety in uncomfortable emotions regardless of the situation. As I always tell you, it's knowing how to provide balance for yourself.
Your weekly fill reminder:
I want you to get good at change because change is always knocking at your door. When you are good at changing anything and everything, you get more control over what you choose to change rather than being controlled by change.
And the hard, uncomfortable things you do, when done from a place of love and in health, grow deeper roots. Eventually, those roots take over, and the things you've worked so hard for become part of who you are.
Your Weekly Action:
Health requires you to do hard things.
Things you don't feel like doing. But when you get comfortable with the uncomfortable feelings, you realize that not all decisions should be based on feelings but on choice.
Choosing to do the hard and uncomfortable because you know it's healthy.
To crush any excuses, let me remind you that:
All people (even gym rats) think working out is hard and uncomfortable.
All people contemplate snoozing their alarm.
All people have cravings for unhealthy food.
All people have negative thoughts about their bodies.
But all things worth doing take work, discipline, and dedication, even when you don't feel like it.
All people experience the same feelings. The difference is how people act out of them or regardless of them!
You can do hard things!
If you're following the Nourish30 Challenge, drop a comment and let me know one thing you are succeeding in (Need more details on this challenge? Click here!)
Next week kicks off our summer series that dives into this topic and so many more called HOW YOU HEAL!
I'll be back soon!
This resonates with me so much.
Wow! This hit home 🥺 Thank you for your share & your commitment. One of the hardest for me is accountability. So I been praying for a accountability partner. I'm a 9 and its challenging. I'm ready to take charge and prepare myself a contract.