“Get comfortable being uncomfortable” is a mantra for many people who do hard pursuits.
Endurance athletes, MMA fighters, bodybuilders, CrossFitters.
So how is it that somebody can run an ultramarathon for 100 miles, but not be able to have a difficult conversation with their partner?
The same person who’s prepared to get up at 6am and jump in the ice plunge and stick to their diet, is also afraid to tell an employee that they’re underperforming, or open up to their friend about how they’re feeling mentally.
I’m not saying that the cold plunge and a 6am run isn’t tough, it is.
But it also seems obvious that there are certain domains of your life where you’re prepared to be tough, and there’s others where your “I do hard things” muscle is entirely none-existent.
In fact I’d go as far as to say that some people use their physical capacity as a crutch to excuse or distract themselves from facing difficult feelings.
TLDR: A lot of people are comfortable being uncomfortable, as long as they get to choose the discomfort. And just because you crush things physically does not make you brave emotionally.
(As someone who has lifted heavy objects for 20 years but only done emotional work for 2, I know this paradox deeply)
