Dare To Be Uncomfortable

When we have an opportunity to bring a spiritual mirror into our life, whether through a book, teaching, seminar or mentor, it best serves us when it’s allowed to reflect truth to a greater degree than what the world is constantly reflecting back to us.

We’ve got to make time to read the book, pray, meditate, chant.

We’ve got to carve out the space in our life to go to the seminar.

We’ve got to agree to meet with the mentor as much as that opportunity permits.

All of this is necessary to prevent the mirror of the world from pulling us back into its orbit.

I know this, and yet, I hesitated when a big opportunity to expand came my way…

Over the past few months, I’ve had multiple opportunities to ride along with my friend/spiritual mentor to Lubbock, where he gives a spiritual talk and makes his monthly sale for his business. It’s a great opportunity to create a “stacking effect” with respect to the inner journey, since the drive is eight hours one-way…that’s a lot of time to go into spiritual things!

The first time I was invited, I opted out (can’t remember why).

The second time I declined, because ya know…it was the season finale of The Voice! I mean, I’d invested 12 weeks into this program; I needed to know who was going to win.

I knew when I was declining these invitations that I was doing a disservice to my spiritual journey. Yet I continued to say no. It wasn’t that I was scared to go into spiritual things. As it is, we have a standing dinner meet-up every Wednesday, where our average meet time is six hours (yep, 6:00pm to 12:00am).

It had more to do with crossing a new frontier to our relationship. Kinda like going to float the river with someone you’ve only known as a co-worker. You go from knowing each other in your work clothes to knowing each other in your swimsuit. It challenges the barriers of the relationship as you’ve come to know them.

Riding in the car together for 8 hours there and back and staying the night at a friend of his house impinged on my personal comfort. So to avoid this discomfort, I said no and made up some excuse like needing to watch The Voice.

But I tend to forget about these comfort issues until it comes right up to the point of having to commit to going. In other words, the idea always sounds good when it’s first suggested. In fact, the last time I was invited, I did something really crazy…I asked how far Sedona, AZ was from Lubbock!

He’d mentioned in past conversations that he and another close friend of his had gone to Sedona to take advantage of the additional spiritual energy there. The energy vortices magnify any spiritual work that you’re working on.

When I wasn’t thinking of my personal barrier issues, I thought it would be a great way to leverage some of the spiritual work that I’d been doing. So, without thinking, I blurted out the possibility. His eyes got big as he registered the opportunity and he quickly asked Siri how far Lubbock was from Sedona.

Only 11 hours—that’s doable! We both sat there as the idea settled in. It felt possible. It felt good. There really wasn’t anything stopping us. We both had the time. He could make a few sales in Sedona (dual purpose for going!).

And then, my classic case of back peddling set in (in college, it was once said that I back peddled so fast that sparks flew!). All of my personal barrier issues flushed to the surface and I started to put the brakes on.

I stayed in this “brake zone” for a few days as I begin to process whether or not I could fully commit to going.

I noticed that I was contracting when expansion was possible.

I also saw how my commitment and intention to traverse the higher-path is what brought this particular opportunity to me, yet I was choosing to push it away out of fear.

Ultimately, I saw how nothing was really standing in my way except my own choice not to accept the opportunity. And then I decided to show up for the intentions that I had set. I agreed to the opportunity.

I almost let my feared personal discomfort talk me out of going…

Ego leads us to believe that we’re never supposed to be uncomfortable, which greatly undermines our ability to know our unlimited nature. Brene Brown, an advocate for vulnerability, speaks to this brilliantly in, Daring Greatly, when she says “we need to cultivate the courage to be uncomfortable and to teach people around us how to accept discomfort as part of growth.”

We must notice when we’re shrinking, question it, release the fear, and choose to expand if we want to reap the benefits that growth offers.

Where have you missed opportunities to expand because you feared something about the process? Or…where have you said yes to an opportunity that pushed you into expansion? I’d love to know in the comments below!

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To expanding instead of shrinking!

Shanna

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