Invite a Little More Fear, Pain and Uncertainty

Do you understand what pleasure and pain really are?

You might, but most people don’t. They see pleasure as ‘good’ and pain as something to avoid at all costs.

You might think that doesn’t describe you, so let me ask you this:

How comfortable is your life?

Comfort is great – don’t get me wrong. It’s nice to put your feet up and not have to worry for a moment. Constant discomfort drains your mental reserves, so you can feel good about relaxing.

But what happens if you’re too relaxed and comfortable?

Well, it sure feels nice. I won’t deny that.

But fear, pain and uncertainty have their role. They motivate you to move. And you have to move – the comfortable times don’t last forever.

People dislike these sensations because they’re unpleasant. But think about what they mean.

Fear says that something important is going on. If you don’t care about rejection, you’ll never fear asking for a raise or a date. If you know your reputation, you won’t fear speaking in front of a crowd. The emotion only rises when you’re pushing into something new.

Pain tells you to avoid something. It isn’t safe or normal, so stay away.

Uncertainty is a clue that things are changing. If you take action, you can steer your future towards something great. If you don’t, you’re at the mercy of the fates.

Let’s be honest – these are wise messengers. You might not like them, but you need to listen to them.

And the best way to do that is to remain in control. If you seek them and invite them into your life, then you can’t resent them.

So find your limits. See the point where you stop feeling comfortable and start feeling growing pains.

Because if you do something that scares you each day, you’ll soon notice something strange:

In order to conquer the new challenges in your life, you’ll have to access a new part of you. If that sounds dramatic, that’s because it is… but it happens whenever you learn something new.

And if you keep finding new corners to your mind…

Well, who knows how much you can change every year.

For many people, a commitment to improve makes them nervous.

They buy a gym membership and use it twice.

They buy a book and never read it. Or, they read it but ignore the advice.

They sign up for a course and don’t finish it.

This is your chance to defy everyone else’s patterns. Now is your time to take action and follow through.

It begins with the simplest of steps:

What can the 8Ps do for you?