For many people, it’s easier now than ever before to avoid trials, tribulations, difficulties, and suffering. There are many conveniences to modern life that have eliminated most of the problems that ancient humans faced. Although it’s natural to prefer things that provide comfort and pleasure over things that cause misery and suffering, pursuing the former things doesn’t always guarantee that you’ll get them. I have been seeking comfort more and more lately and I think that has made it harder for me to handle even mildly difficult situations.
It doesn’t help that I’ve fallen away from many of my habits that either challenged me to push through difficulties (such as taking cold showers) or relieved tension in my body (such as stretching). I have time to do this stuff, I just mostly spend it doing other things instead. Once I fall out of a habit, it’s extremely difficult for me to get back into it. I sometimes need help to get back on track, and help arrived earlier this week. My mindfulness buddy sent me this article that discusses how resilience is more important than comfort and happiness. That article reminded me of how David Goggins has used suffering to harden his mind, overcome his past, and become the person he is today. Those two reminders gave me what I needed to recommit myself to embracing the difficulties rather than trying to avoid them.
So far I’ve started out slowly, mainly by stretching and taking cold showers again. I also try to keep in mind that, one way or another, I can find a solution for difficult situations. All of that seems to be helping, as does the nice break I’ve had from my usual routines. Plus I’m remembering that the nice things in life are even nicer after going through challenging times; endless comfort quickly becomes boring and draining. I hope I can keep doing the stuff that helps me instead of falling away from it as I’ve done several times now. I’ll also try to keep in mind that life is all about the journey, not the destination; if I lose my way for a while, I’ll see what I learn from that little detour and then keep on moving.