All my life, voluntarily or involuntarily I've chosen discomfort.
Philosophy is so divided where a lot of gurus are like manifest comfort, ease and you'll attract good things in your life.
Things might come to you easy - acting roles, music deals, gigs, jobs but how you perform at them depends on your level of preparation.
You can't go to the gym and manifest lifting heavy weights and a great body. Sure, it is crucial to have the right mental attitude, stay positive, stay the course, count your blessings, look at the glass half full than half empty but YOU GOTTA PUT IN THE WORK!
And the work more often than not involves discomfort.
Mata rani ke darshan ke liye khadi chadhai chadhni hi padti hai
(you gotta climb a steep hill to meet your god) Similarly you gotta endure some discomfort to learn how to sing, dance, climb, act, produce, build a physique or anything in life.
No one who has ever achieved greatness has done it without any struggles or facing adversity - Lincoln, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, you name it. Embracing discomfort for what you want to achieve in your life makes all the difference. As I'd mentioned in my previous article, when I wake up at 3 am, eat a salad, leave my house on my beautiful yet uncomfortable sports bike and not my car protected from the 40 degree hot Delhi weather with an 8 kilo bag with everything from 1 laptop, 1 iPad, hard drive, 2 phones, etc. with a riding jacket, riding gloves, riding helmet and not just sit at my house and write. I would in theory save time, save energy, save money, save fuel but life doesn't work that way.
By leaving my house, I am leaving all creature comforts, all possible distractions. Sitting in that corner table is like going to office and sitting at my desk to accomplish set daily work targets. I choose to wake up before every one else just like Rocky would, to run the streets of Philadelphia to prepare for his fight against Apollo Creed.
I also avoid the most incredibly dumb drivers and riders in the world both going and coming back home at 8-9 am.
Riding a bike is a discomfort I choose. I am most alive and connected while riding, a thrill that can't be replicated in a 4 door, 4 wheeler cage with the best audio system and all kinds of driver aids. I am alive when I am riding. Reaching Blue Tokai in my bike is an accomplishment, a milestone.
Nobody really calls me between 4 am - 7 am. All my apps also assume I'm sleeping or unreachable. Like people book 'Wework' spaces to come together and operate on their dreams, I've found a slightly cheaper tastier option which is a hotspot for a lot of bike/cycle riders.
Concentrated effort for 3 hours minimum and then I can go sleep, eat, watch Netflix, write and record songs, edit Youtube videos, do whatever I want.
When I was performing on the ship as an actor, singer and dancer in the Bollywood Musical Balle Balle. I had to diet, work out everyday, attend dance practices, theatre workshops etc. Through sickness, injuries, mental traumas, I had to still fight everyday to deliver. The paying audiences don't care.
At the gym, lifting easy won't really help you much. You always need to go above and beyond, embrace the cramps, the aches. The muscle fibres break and with sufficient protein and enough rest, they get bigger and stronger and so do you.
There is discomfort from the weight on that bar, the pull-ups, push-ups to saying no to ice cream, kaju katli, chocolates, etc.
There is also discomfort when you come back with soreness all over and you have to record your audition as the PPM is tomorrow, you pull through.
I've lived the corporate life and I worked really hard and did really well for myself. I CHOOSE this discomfort for my growth, to continuously push the envelope and find the best version of myself.
I will find discomfort if it allows me to be a better writer, better actor, a better musician. No pain no gain right? Works everywhere, not just the gym.
Tell me about your story, your struggle, your discomfort and what do you think about discomfort in your lives.
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