Comfortable Discomfort
Pay attention when you're comfortable in situations that others find uncomfortable.
Anyone taking a macroeconomics course learns about the concept of “comparative advantage.” This is when one can produce a good or service at a lower opportunity cost than another producer.
If you live in Minnesota, it makes sense to grow corn or soybeans, not mangoes.
Paying attention to our comparative advantage for discomfort can be helpful when trying to discern what to do in life.1
Kids are great, but being a kindergarten teacher would be a struggle for me. God bless those who thrive doing just that.
Conversely, some people are terrified of public speaking. I'm energized by it.
At times it's helpful to push ourselves out of our comfort zones. Plus, any vocation is going to have its unpleasant aspects.
Still, it's often unhelpful to spend much time making stuff you hate slightly less torturous.
Dive deep into those things that other people hate that you find strangely comforting.
I’m not the only one thinking about discomfort this week. Paul Mitchell, author of Audacious Ignatius — and my former roommate — also wrote about discomfort this week. His weekly newsletter is worth a follow.