Comfort isn’t growth

Comfort is a sign of stagnation. If you aren’t uncomfortable, odds are you’re at a plateau. When you climb up a hill, you’re pushing yourself; you’re straining to achieve greater heights—heights you can’t achieve if you’re strolling across a plateau. When I went to my first Austin Builders Association meeting, there were about 500 people gathered there and I felt really uncomfortable and out of place. Compare that to the second time I went in there, feeling like I belonged and this was a place I should be. I had to push myself to be comfortable, to mix in the crowd and make something of myself among these people so I wouldn’t be just another wallflower. Engaging with someone one on one was difficult, now I can talk to about fifty people and not feel put out in the slightest. I can also remember being asked to pray in front of the church about eighteen years ago and feeling some apprehension about that. My voice was quivering, I was nervous, but now I can do it without breaking a sweat. That’s the thing about discomfort; it serves as a goal for us to overcome so we can achieve a better version of ourselves. If we shy away from these challenges, we will never be able to grow as people.

Getting outside of your comfort zone requires sacrifice and investment, be it mentally, physically, emotionally, or spiritually. We have to be made uncomfortable to find out how we need to grow. Don’t shy away from it; understand what’s causing that discomfort to access the opportunity to better yourself. Like water in a pond, what’s stagnant is dead. If you aren’t moving, aren’t growing then you are dying. No business ever made its success through apathy and fear. I can remember writing my first $100,000 check thinking this is crazy, but now I’m accustomed to it. Learning how to navigate these unknown waters is how you explore opportunities and pathways to success.