The first thing I realized when I got to my boy’s soccer practice was that I forgot a chair. And there wasn’t a bench close to his field. Luckily, there was a big tree sitting just beyond the goal line. I plopped myself down beside it.
About halfway through practice, I decided the tree roots digging into my tailbone wasn’t comfortable anymore. I attempted to get up. Key word here: attempted.
As I went to stand, I quickly realized that my leg was asleep. And not just the annoying little tingly feeling. My foot was numb. I stumbled a bit as I stood. I staggered around for several minutes. I tried to avoid eye contact with the other parents. I slowly regained control of my flailing leg. I decided to stand (well, pace) while my kiddo and his team were finishing up.
I don’t suppose there is anything wrong with trying to be comfortable…during your kid’s soccer practice or in life. And we certainly all need a little rest now and then.
But sometimes the comfort we seek can paralyze us when we’re ready to move. Maybe we decide to stay somewhere we’ve outgrown, or we avoid the risk we know we should take because we’re afraid we might fail. Maybe we’re stuck in a routine or avoiding the tough conversation.
Comfort isn’t our enemy. In fact, rest is our friend. Comfort becomes a problem when we get stuck there. The trouble is that many of us have become so settled in our status quo that we find ourselves unable to move.
Eventually it’s time to get up. We might have to shake off the pins and needles a bit. We might even stumble at times. But if you get up and start moving, eventually you’ll regain your footing.