Discomfort – It may just be your golden ticket. 

Imagine you are at the foot of a beautiful mountain, seeking to reach the top because there is a treasure trove of fruitful bounty up there. 

The top reaches high into the clouds where the forest is lush with flora and fauna. The mountain stands boldly, its stature providing shade and security.

But, despite its wonder and abundance, there is an element of discomfort to get there should you wish to hike to the top and gain access to all that those heavenly heights have to offer. There are dizzying cliffs and jagged edges, waterfalls to climb and rivers to cross, the deep forest to navigate, and an altitude that can steal your breath away.

This mountain represents your success. 

It’s your big dream, your deeply rooted desire, your admirable aspiration. This dream, once accomplished, has the potential to change your life, offer security, and induce a sense of pride. But, like climbing any mountain, there’ll be a fair share of discomfort before you reach the top. 

Discomfort, however, is the magical doorway that leads to real success. It’s the mental, physical, and spiritual test that helps you reach a whole new level. 

The tricky part is learning how to use discomfort to your advantage. 

Channeling discomfort into the creation of something glorious in your life is one of the many things I love to teach the beautiful women like you who are members of the School of Self-Image. 

It was something I had to learn early on when I began my own journey on this path to powerful elegance. I quickly realized: the difficulties in my life need not be experienced in vain. I can learn from them and reap the benefits, transforming my life into the one I always dreamed of. 

So, how can discomfort guide you to ultimate success?

Change your perspective on discomfort.

Have you ever gotten the itch to just do something big, get out of your comfort zone, and shake things up? Perhaps you had the sudden urge to drive across the country, sign up for a class you never thought you would take, or dye your hair a different color?

Personally, I’ve had various moments like this in my life. 

Let’s be honest, familiarity can get boring! Routines can turn monotonous and life can start to seem gray and brown. 

As humans, it seems, we naturally start to seek out experiences with the unknown. We get unexpected urges for adventure and become anxious for the next chapter.

Who are we during those moments?! What joyful, free, and astounding women we’ve become ... 

Inhibitions and caution to the wind, we’re on our way to the future – come what may!

Of course, this may only happen on the rare occasion … But what an exhilarating notion, don’t you think? 

That’s what makes life so beautiful. New experiences – whether they lead to discomfort or not – are a fun and exciting part of being alive. 

On the other hand, if you’re one of those people who gets nervous or anxious with new situations 100% of the time, then it sounds like you may need to put yourself out there more. 

You may be holding back, and there is no shame in that. We all do it or have done it.  

And, it’s important to acknowledge your fear, accept that there may be discomfort, and know that you will be able to handle anything that comes your way. You just have to look discomfort in the eye and say, “bring it.” 

When we walk through discomfort, it challenges us to experience something that we haven’t before. The discomfort could last just a minute, a day, or longer - it’s not important. The key is learning how to perceive discomfort in a way that benefits you. 

Get accustomed to taking chances and experiencing new things. Be willing to take a stroll outside your comfort zone. I promise, the more you do, the more you’ll grow. The more you grow, the higher you’ll reach when it comes to satisfaction and success.

Let discomfort be your teacher.

In Finland, they have a wonderful word that doesn’t translate easily to English. The word is sisu and it refers to a type of inner resilience and fortitude that allows one to conquer new experiences with courage. 

I can almost guarantee that every successful woman out there has her fair share of sisu. And, having sisu is certainly easier said than done! 

Sure, we may be born with a certain level of inner strength, but a lot of that gets buried away as we grow older. Life gets the best of us and we start to doubt ourselves. The only way to (re)discover your inner power is by proving it to yourself. 

Allow discomfort to teach you just how strong you really are. 

Believe me, you’ll be stunned at all the new things you’ll learn about yourself in the realm of discomfort. You’ll see how easily you bounce back, how resilient and powerful you are, and how you have both mental and physical stability. 

Discomfort taught me that I actually could be a great parent, a smart business owner, and a powerful, elegant woman who could transform her own self-image –and her life – if she wanted to. 

If I hadn’t endured the discomfort, I never would have known just how capable I am at creating the life of my dreams and then sharing that dream with thousands of other women, helping them reveal their true selves.

So, when you find yourself in uncomfortable circumstances, interpret that as a sign that you’re on the right path, and even though you might get there with your hair disheveled or mascara smudged, you’ll have arrived having honored your inner strength – your sisu.

Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

In college, I had this incredible teacher who would roll her eyes when we would groan about upcoming homework or projects. She would say, “Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.” 

At the time, of course, I had no idea what she was talking about, but as an adult woman, I completely understand ...

The more ease we can find within our own struggles, the better we get at navigating the world in general. 

Ease, as some of you may know, is one of my favorite words and should always be your prime goal in any situation. Finding ease is doing what my teacher suggested, allowing the discomfort to be present and not pushing against it.

Now, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have high standards or always strive for comfort and security! What I mean is, the more space you can create within your discomfort, the easier it will be to walk through it. 

Being comfortable with the uncomfortable equates to surrendering. And, when we surrender to the flow of life, marvelous things can happen. It is only when we start to resist when we try to avoid the discomfort or get out of the discomfort, that we create more unhappiness and stress.

Discomfort is the stepping stone to real success and I can assure you every one of us goes through it. There isn’t one successful woman who hasn’t powered through her fair share of discomfort. 

And, If I were the betting kind, I’d bet every single one of them appreciated those experiences for various reasons.

So, if you find yourself at the bottom of the mountain of life, just remember: getting to the top will be a trek, but when you reach the summit, you’ll have earned, learned, and proved so much to yourself.

 

The Self-Image Manifesto

You’re Invited To Live An Extraordinary Life!

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