On The Perils of Comfort
Never get too comfortable, or you won’t be ready for what’s next.
Years ago, I read a sentence that said, “Never get too comfortable, or you won’t be ready for what’s next.”
That phrase lives at the forefront of my mind as a reminder to not get too comfortable, because when change comes knocking, we must stay nimble and ready to adapt.
Change often comes when we least expect it. But sometimes if we don’t stay ready for change, it won’t ever find us. Instead, we end up swimming in stagnant waters. We watch opportunities pass us because we are fearful of letting go of what feels comfortable. We don’t want to risk giving up what we have by going after something uncertain.
Life is a delicate balance of seeking change while also being fearful of it. We are often our own worst villain. But the truth is our biggest growth comes from facing obstacles that change presents us. Change means letting go of the familiar. Letting go of what makes us feel secure and stable. Change means surrendering to the possibility of something new despite the uncertainty.
Courage & Change
Leaving behind comfortably requires a degree of courage. Why would we leave a job we feel comfortable in and secure at? It’s familiar and stable. Why would we leave a city we feel at home in? Other cities are foreign and we may not know anyone.
As humans, we come up with plenty of excuses for ourselves in resisting change. We all do it. Perhaps it's a survival mechanism. It’s not to say we shouldn’t enjoy comforts, but rather that we should be grateful while we have them, while simultaneously staying ready for change when it comes knocking.
Sometimes change is up to us. It’s when we make the decision to switch jobs or to move cities. When we end relationships, move houses, start businesses, or go on trips.
But sometimes change is forced upon us. It creeps up when we least expect it, and that’s when we are in danger of not being ready for it. If it catches us off guard, we spin out of control. Instead, how can we enjoy the present while also keeping a pulse on change and being ready to adapt when it’s time?
Stay Ready
In Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet, he writes, “Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding.” He is suggesting that discomfort is needed for growth. That if we get too comfortable, we may miss out on the breakthrough.
On the subject of work, Gibran writes,“For to be idle is to become a stranger unto the seasons.” Seasons mean inevitable change. Becoming a stranger to seasons would be like trying to stop an already moving bullet train. When we accept the seasons that come our way, and do our best to prepare for them, is when opportunities come. Maybe that’s what’s also meant by the popular phrase, “Luck is when preparedness meets opportunity.”
Change is inevitable. It’s bound to happen whether we are ready or not, so it’s best to be and stay ready. Like a muscle, the more we use it and put ourselves in situations that are unfamiliar and challenging, the better trained we will be when a big change comes sweeping and attempts to knock us off our feet.
In The Prophet, there is a passage about houses. As you know, this publication is called The Long Way Home, where we often explore the meaning of home. On the subject of houses, Gibran writes, “Your house shall not be an anchor but a mast.”
He is speaking directly to the danger of basking in too much comfort. We must not let our foundation become a trap. We must be ready to move with the winds of change and adjust our sails. Our home— whatever that is to us, must be a mast in the wind. Strong and steady, yet flexible.
I leave you to reflect on a passage from his book:
“And tell me, people of Orphalese, what have you in these houses? And what is it you guard with fastened doors?
Have you peace, the quiet urge that reveals your power?
Have you remembrances, the glimmering arches that span the summits of the mind?
Have you beauty, that leads the heart from things fashioned of wood and stone to the holy mountain?
Tell me, have you these in your houses?
Or have you only comfort, and the lust for comfort, that stealthy thing that enters the house a guest, and then becomes a host, and then a master? …Lust for comfort murders the passion of the soul.”
Remember, “Never get too comfortable or you won’t be ready for what’s next.”
Interesting enough that phrase was something I read on LinkedIn. A former colleague had shared a post with words of wisdom from her grandmother. The words caught my attention and I wrote them down on a sticky note. I’ve carried them in my mind ever since.
Every time I start feeling too comfortable, or too stuck in routines, I remember it's time to shake things up again. Opportunities don’t find us when we are comfortable. Opportunities (and the magic of life) find us at the time when we start going out of our comfort zone and looking for them too. We find each other when we are open to it.
If you’ve been feeling stuck or stagnant, maybe this is your sign. Take a chance on yourself and make the change. You are ready for what’s next.
—Maria
Great reminder! I have made several bigger changes to my life in the past year and am starting to feel increasingly comfortable in my new situation even though time management is sometimes tough. However, dropping some of the new hobbies or clubs for that reason seems a bit rash. So I guess it comes down to what still makes you grow and revisiting the potential of each activity regularly.
On "how can we enjoy the present while also keeping a pulse on change and being ready to adapt when it’s time?" - I actually believe that being present is precisely what we need to see opportunities for what they are. Being present to me means being alert, agile and willing to adapt. If we are not present, we might not be able to "see the forest for the trees".