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Embracing uncomfortableness

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Here's what I strongly believe in

Be comfortable about yourself but put yourself in uncomfortable situations.

I am writing this post as I pack my things to move to a new apartment. I have stayed in the current apartment for more than 4 years now. It was almost perfect home with all the amenities and comfort. But as things in life go, change hits you sooner than later. 

Right from the day I was born, I have moved to a different city ever three years. My father's job required us to constantly be on the move. Sometimes, we moved to different states in India which meant new languages, new environment, new set of friends and totally different culture. It was never easy to adapt.

I have tried to resist change for a long time now. Humans, I learn, prefer status quo. It makes us uncomfortable to accept change as it brings a range of negative emotions from anxiety to fear. Ironically, our ancestors have lived nomadic way of life up until the revolution in agriculture. So, I assume this is a recent phenomena. Our identity and life is strongly tied to what we do, where we live and, we seem to enjoy the whole sense of familiarity.

As a wise man once said "familiarity breeds contempt". You tend to lose respect of things, you lose your way and become careless. You stop learning and become that infamous frog in a well and for that reason, I am fully embracing change for once. 

I am willing to do the journey that takes me from unfamiliarity to becoming familiar again with my surroundings. May be I will learn a thing or two on the way.

Now, coming to my other point - being comfortable about yourself. As someone who is suffering from social anxiety, I am learning to love, like and be kind to myself. The society can be quite judgemental and as you grow up the judgements from people can take a toll on your mental health.

As I have become older, it is much more fun to be me. It's okay if I cannot give a rousing speech in a front of a huge audience or do well at my job. But what is more important is that I give myself the emotional support to myself or the inner me. 

And when I have enough of it, I will probably muster enough courage to solve all the problems I have been facing in my life.

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