Friday 20 September 2013

Is there such a thing as being too comfortable?

Hi there blog challenge, did you miss me yesterday? I unashamedly skipped a day. Did not feel in a creative writing mood whatsoever, was pressed for time, and had more urgent things to write about, like being pressed for time. Sorry about that.

It's a dangerous thing, skipping: Once you've done it and experienced how deliciously wrong it feels, you wanna do it again. That's how I ended up skipping more days than I attended in grade 12 and getting into HUGE trouble with my parents. Massive. Not a fun time at all. Don't do it kids.

So that's why I'm back at it today to react to this term: comfort.
source
Hmm. My first reaction is: warm, cozy, soft, pleasant.
But then, not far behind is my second reaction: complacent, boring, restless.

Is there such a thing as being too comfortable? I think there is. There is no progress and development, no personal growth when one is too comfortable.

source
When people get too comfortable they often also get dissatisfied. We need challenges to overcome, because that gives us a sense of accomplishment and pride.
That rush of adrenaline you get when you try something new, maybe something you have been afraid of, is what makes life exciting. It makes you feel alive!

I think comfort is way too overrated in our Western society. The whole sweatpants-, la-z-boy-, drive-thru-society we live in does us no favours in my opinion. Are people happier because of it?
I doubt it. We are bored. Life gets too easy and people get restless. We try to fill that blah feeling with stuff: New toys, clothes, furniture, Netflix. We love watching shows where people have to overcome hardships and fight their way through obstacles.

Why? Because it makes for good entertainment. And also, we secretly wish that once in a while, our lives would be a bit more like that. More exciting. Less predictable. More worthwhile.

I remember a whole bunch of moments when I had that proud, accomplished feeling: Making it down a hill on skis for the first time in 10 years - no falling! (That came later.)
Crossing a river on horseback and being - first: terrified, then: thrilled and oh-so-proud.
As a newbie at work, getting a difficult case and managing to do a good job all by myself.
Public speaking (which always makes me wanna die a bit) - and surviving.
Admitting an uncomfortable truth - and getting an outpouring of support. (I love you all for it!)

But despite all that, I'm always in danger of forgoing the discomfort in favour of comfort. Comfort is alluring, it's safe, it's - well, comfortable. So easy to give in to. But I want to remember the times when I stepped out of my comfort zone, how thrilling and satisfying that felt!
I want to experience that again.
Here is to living life more adventurously!

Love, Miriam
Share:

8 comments

  1. You said it girl!
    It's so easy to be comfortable.
    It's the American way.
    We don't want to much step out of our safety zones.
    But when we do... and experience new things, it can be pretty thrilling ;)
    I'm not much into public speaking either.
    and when I have to get up and sing in front of people - complete butterflies in my stomach.
    completely.
    Yep, I'm a nurse. I'm just starting to feel non-zombie-ish after having almost a whole day of rest. It starts back over Monday for me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh yes, public singing is nerve wracking! I had to do it years ago and forgot half the lyrics. Never again!

      Delete
  2. Yes! Yes! and Yes! I have a tattoo of the word 'never' which represents a quote from "Fight Club" (the book).
    "May I never be complete. May I never be content. May I never be perfect."
    I love this outlook on life. What is living if we succeed all the time and have nothing more to work for?
    -Emily

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes! Exactly! I love the idea for your tattoo, awesome!

      Delete
  3. What an interesting take on this, good food for thought!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I still love couch time, sometimes that's very necessary. But when I get off it it's usually very rewarding!

      Delete
  4. Love this! You are so totally right about this one.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Tabitha :)
      It's a struggle sometimes, my inner sloth is very convincing haha

      Delete

Thanks for commenting! I always reply to comments here, so check back in a day or two!

© Farm Girl | All rights reserved.
Blog Layout Created by pipdig