It’s an easy question to answer. So I’ll take my time. Have you ever considered what it means to be comfortable? I think the premise has more to do with the Theory of Relativity than anything; as in, it is completely relative to the gravity of your present situation. If you are in a grave situation, literally about to enter the grave of your life, then little else matters. If, generally speaking, you don’t believe it should be your time to enter in, then everything that reaffirms your belief in having a continuing future is of utmost importance. For instance: if you are facing dying of thirst int he desert or chop off you arm. A very great discomfort will matter very little to the person set upon having a future. Sadly there are those who would choose to die out there than be uncomfortable with the choices needed to be made.
Often times I find myself making choices based upon how I feel (read that as a focus on my comfort) about why I don’t really want to do something and not considering the future benefit of such actions. I believe we all should strive to have the best future we can imagine. For some of us the best future is a groundhog day. I do mean a Bill Murry experience! It is far to easy to be passive, lethargic, uninterested, a procrastinator or lazy when you have a standard of living that only makes you uncomfortable when the most trivial of aspects ruin your day. Let’s say something like you go out to leave for work and you have a flat tire.
You say, “that’s not a most trivial aspect”. I would argue? Let us consider that having a tire is quite a wealthy proposition considering the rest of the world, quite possibly even here in America. Depending upon to what it is attached, quite possibly you have less to complain about than being late to work one day of the few days you work in a week. This flat tire is not only easily fixed but will be temporary and probably never plague you again. The median American’s standard of living is far beyond the rest of the world including first world countries as in Europe. The things and opportunities you have available any time of any day is unparalleled anywhere else in the world. It is extremely easy to be industrious in this country but it is far easier to be comfortable.
Most immigrants recognize this when they get here and become industrious because of the discomfort they’ve know not having opportunity to be industrious. They excel, some to the point where they too lose their memories and make decisions to be comfortable.
You’ve heard this saying before no doubt, ” good enough is the enemy of great”. There is some wisdom in this though fallible, greatness is needed and should be applauded, but I don’t really need a great tire that will never go flat when it is such a small and insignificant part of my endeavor to have a flat. It only needs to be good enough, but without someone pursuing great tires we would not have the one we employ today. Someone at some point pursued greatness in tires at the peril of his comfort! Someone at some point pursued good tires at the peril of his comfort lest we would not have them.
Please remember that a good life or a great life requires some level of discomfort and the world needs you to go an be uncomfortable because all of our futures are dependent upon your theory of relativity in our lives. It’s all relative even though you’re probably not my cousin, I need you to be uncomfortable for me and for yourself.
Go right now and be great to someone you know,
Greg