Learning To Be Comfortable

“Try to be like the turtle – at ease in your own shell.”
                                                                     Bill Copeland

My wonderful swimming coach, Don, gave us a great exercise today. He wanted us to hold our breath and swim underwater for the length of the pool. No biggie for one lap – but he wanted us to repeat this exercise 10 times! The first few laps were not that big of an effort, but when it came to the 5th lap we were all huffing, puffing, and complaining loudly. That’s when he gave us one of his inspiring swim-life-lessons: “You have to get to a point where you are comfortable with being a little uncomfortable to make it to the goal.” He went on to say that if we could just relax into that slightly uncomfortable  feeling we could make the lap easily and effortlessly. He was right. The more I tensed up and felt I couldn’t do it – I couldn’t. But when I let it be easy, relaxed and hung in there for the few seconds past where I normally would give up, I made it!

I thought about how this applies to my personal life – and especially around the holidays.  December, to me, is a time of being quiet, going within, and yet I feel the pull that I am “supposed” to go to parties, be out shopping, and saying “yes” when I really want to say “no”. I wind up saying yes when I am not able to hang out in the uncomfortable feeling that saying no might bring up for me. I love what author Brene’ Brown said about this: “I would rather choose discomfort rather than resentment.”  So I am rethinking some of the obligations of the holidays and seeing how I can get used to checking in with my heart first, letting life be easy, and hanging out in a little discomfort when I am in people-pleasing mode. I think if I can practice this new way of being, my holiday season will be more authentic and joy filled!

Thank you all for another wonderful year of reading my words, singing my songs, and being at my retreats. I wish you all a very grace-filled and peaceful holiday season!