According to Vocabulary.com, discomfort is “the feeling of irritation, soreness, or pain that, although not severe, is annoying. The noun discomfort is good for describing situations when you aren’t quite in pain, but you don’t feel very good.”
I love this explanation as it so accurately defines the unending state of uncertainty that has overshadowed the joy of my mombbatical. I landed on discomfort as one of the emerging lessons of my mombbatical because it seemed as if everyday, I was summoned to step into moments of discomfort. Whether in the attempt to use my French language skills or in the literary leaps that I was making each time I penned a blog post, laying my thoughts and perspectives bare for others to see and judge. I was not in pain, but I was at times annoyed or stressed by the vulnerability from these moments. Would I make a mistake? Am I on the right path? Will anyone listen to what I have to say?
The moment we are facing as a global community has been riddled with discomfort. For some, there has been great pain from the loss of loved ones to COVID-19 or unjust violence. Financial and economical upheaval have also created stress for many. But, there is also an underlying discomfort that is lingering for all of us as we face our way of life and the toll it has taken on society, the environment, and our very souls.
“Ultimately, our discomfort is intended to challenge us to grow into more of who we are really meant to be.”
The pause of the lock down may have forced many to confront the discomfort of a long-standing relationship that has not been working or a job that has been unfulfilling. Discomforts that were not severe enough to facilitate change as it is easier to tolerate the status quo than invite complete upheaval, but annoying enough to leave one not feeling good most of the time. Perhaps the brutal killing of George Floyd has brought to life, particularly for white Americans, the discomfort of facing how their privilege and false sense of superiority has existed on the backs and lives of Black people for centuries. A discomfort that likely they always felt, but were never moved to address.
This week’s conversation is about the discomforts that we have been living with and how they have impacted our well-being. We will also focus on our ability to step into new discomforts as a way towards healing old wounds or expanding our perceptions of our own capacities. Ultimately, our discomfort is intended to challenge us to grow into more of who we are really meant to be.
Some questions that will drive the conversation:
- What discomforts have you been dealing with recently?
- In what ways have they challenged you? In what ways have they inspired you?
- What lessons did you learn during that process?
- Have the recent racial and social justice issues caused you any discomfort and if so, how has it inspired any action?
- How will you embrace or step into discomfort in the future?
For details on how to join this conversation on Sunday, July 26th at 11 am PST/2 pm EST/8 pm CET, click Mombbatical Mindset Conversations.
