When you think of comfort maybe you think of your moms cooking, your own bed, sweatpants, a crackling fireplace, your significant other, or your hometown. All things that have, at some point in your life, provided you with peace and happiness that you may or may not have realized at the time. Comfort is defined as a state of physical ease and freedom from pain or constraint. During my time on the race, I have learned that comfort is so much deeper than a soft blanket or a warm hug. As humans, it’s something that we’re constantly subconsciously pursuing. Discomfort is caused by the failure to fulfill our basic human needs. For example, we’re hungry so we eat, we’re sick so we take medication, we’re tired so we rest, we’re bored so we seek entertainment, we’re lonely so we call our friends, etcetera.
As a child, I probably found comfort in my blankie, pacifiers, and my mom, and as I grew older I found comfort in many more, different things. Before I left for the world race I heard the saying, “growth does not exist within our comfort zones.” And I wanted to grow!! Who doesn’t want to be the best possible version of themselves? So, I left behind all the things that were comfortable to me; target, chipotle, the people I love, blah blah blah. And now I live in Myanmar. I share a room with 6 girls. When I’m squatting over the squatty potty, my brain sometimes does a weird thing. I occasionally find myself thinking, wait, why am I here? what am I doing here when I have a perfectly nice, clean, toilet at home? and then I quickly remember, oh yeah!!! that’s right! I asked for this! I’m learning and growing! I’m teaching english and telling people about Jesus! and then I finish my business on the squatty and happily scoop the water into the hole to flush. It’s human nature to gravitate towards the things that are most comfortable to us and we all make sacrifices. We hit gym when we’d rather stay in bed and we do our homework when we’d rather go out. The further we stray from our sweet comfort, the more we grow and achieve. Discomfort builds perseverance and perseverance builds character.
This being said, I have learned that comfort can even be found in the deepest darkest days of our lives. When I think that my living conditions couldn’t get any worse and I haven’t showered in days, there are still moments of comfort. For me, comfort exists in my bible, my teammates, a BIG cup of coffee, and a clean t-shirt. When nothing is right, these are the only things that bring me back to reality and remind me that I am exactly where I am supposed to be. I have left so much comfort behind and gained so much wisdom and grit. So worth it.
Feel the discomfort and do it anyway.
