Comfortable Pain

For Labor Day, Katie and I went to visit my grandparents in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Katie had never been to Arkansas, and I wanted to make sure that she had a chance to see a place that I spent several summers growing up.

At my Grandparents’ home, there are three places to sleep. First, there’s the pullout couch that’s a flat, small, uncomfortable mattress. Second, my grandparents purchased an old bed frame that was an excellent shape. The only problem is that old bed frames don’t fit new mattresses. Being more than six feet tall, I couldn’t fit in the bed. So, my only option, at my grandma and grandpa’s insisting, was to take their bed for the weekend.

The bed was plenty big enough, old, and comfortable. After driving to the A-R-K from Indy, I slept like a rock that night. But, the next morning, my back was killing me. Spending the night on the old, comfy mattress was bad for my already aching back and left me sore the entire morning.

The same thing can happen with our professional and personal lives. The things that bring us the most comfort can often hurt us the most. Sticking with what we’re comfortable doing does nothing to make us better, and thus makes us worse. If we’re seeking to grow in our career and in our own personal lives, we have to do, or even pursue, the things that may bring us pain, hurt, and discomfort. Only then can we experience growth and improvement.

After all, my back felt much better from sleeping on the hard, uncomfortable floor.