Embrace discomfort

There were multiple moments of terror while learning to fly my ‘new’ (1952 Piper Pacer) aircraft this week. After releasing one particular set of expletives regarding my discomfort, my instructor Kirk, quipped,

“If you were comfortable, you wouldn’t be learning”

I realized that it had likely been over a decade since I’d felt this level of ‘new learning’ stress.

As a teacher and learner I preach this sentiment often, yet having the ‘good stress’ testing my cognition, coordination, and focus made it real.

Recall the last time you felt that good stress, whether it was learning a new skill, giving an amazing presentation, or sharing some creative work.

If it is too far back to recall that feeling in the pit of your stomach, it is time to seek the discomfort.

• Now that’s a peak ethos.