Weekly Nugget: Take A Risk — Be Uncomfortable

Hi friend,

Comfort will kill you. There, I said it.

Chasing comfort is the dream of modernity that turns one’s life into a wasteland of ambitions, possibilities, and potential.

Yet, many of us are committed to being comfortable, looking good, and feeling good, no matter what.

This three-headed Cerberus* (of being comfortable, looking good, and feeling good) guards the psycho-prison that has us trapped.

The consequence — too often, you’ll say yes or no to opportunities with the ‘god of comfort’ as your primary filter. You wouldn’t want to take on projects, meet people, or go to places that make you uncomfortable — where you risk looking bad, feeling bad, or appearing inadequate.

God forbid if we become uncomfortable!

When you chase and become the epitome of comfort in your life, you might notice that your life becomes lonely and boring. The total joy of life can only be experienced in a bare-knuckle confrontation with it. Sometimes, avoiding risks is the riskiest thing to do.

Break this habit of seeking comfort at all costs. Be willing to be uncomfortable.

I’ll give you a personal example: at the age of 20 (in 1994), I had the sense that computers were going to be important in our future. So, I chased this instinct.

I left the comfort of my home and my mother’s cooking, moved to the US, and embarked on an adventure in learning about computers. It was super uncomfortable. But 'doing the uncomfortable' was the best decision I ever made.

This is the only way you are going to go beyond in your life’s work and do something that really matters.

What uncomfortable thing are you willing to do? What are you willing to stand for? Something that might be pretty uncomfortable but could result in tremendous reward?

I'd like to hear from you.

*Cerberus (Greek: Kerberos) is a three-headed monster that guards the gates of the underworld to prevent the dead from leaving.

With care,

Saqib