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Get uncomfortable

By Catherine Toth Fox • December 19, 2011 • Musings, The Daily Dish

I always tell my students it’s important to do things that make you uncomfortable.

It’s a way to test your limits, to improve yourself, to grow.

This was echoed in a blog post by publisher Michael Hyatt, who summarized it like this:

This rings true for me. I think there are three reasons why you and I should embrace discomfort, whether we deliberately choose it, or it simply happens to us.

• Comfort is overrated. It doesn’t lead to happiness. It makes us lazy—and forgetful. It often leads to self-absorption, boredom, and discontent.

• Discomfort can be a catalyst for growth. It makes us yearn for something more. It forces us to change, stretch, and adapt.

• Discomfort is often a sign we’re making progress. You’ve heard the expression, “no pain, no gain.” It’s true! When you push yourself to grow, you will experience discomfort.

And this weekend my friends and I did just that.

We participated — kinda randomly — in a charity dodgeball tournament at Kahala District Park.

None of has played dodgeball since probably the sixth grade. And when we saw the competition — it was hosted by the national champs Mix Plate Crew and some of them can throw a ball in excess of 60 miles per hour! — we were a bit shaken.

But not stirred.

We did it — competed for two straight hours with bruises and sore arms to show for it. Not only did we have a great time, the experience made us — or at least me — realize there’s nothing we shouldn’t be worried about trying.

At the very least, it could be fun.

***

#TodaysGift

Dog Kimono from Inu Inu Hawaii

Dog Kimono from Inu Inu Hawaii
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Days left: 3

Dog kimono or yukata from Inu Inu Hawaii (www.inuinuhawaii.com)

Price: $30 online or at pet boutiques such as Calvin & Susie in Kilohana Square

The gist: Bored of the usual dog outfits? Or your pooch is quite the fashion diva? Get a kimono (or yukata) from Honolulu-based Inu Inu Hawaii, which specializes in unique Asian-inspired apparel for dogs. They come in all sizes — in fact, you can custom order ones for larger breeds — and patterns. Imagine your Rottweiler in one of these!

Best for: Dog owners, of course!

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About the Author

Catherine Toth Fox

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4 Comments

  • Reply WildeOscar December 19, 2011 at 7:47 am

    Eleanor Roosevelt said it pretty well: “Do something every day that scares you.” It is the best way I know of to pack a little more livin’ into each moment of life.

    I haven’t played dodgeball since 8th grade, but a game of it made the adrenaline flow, even before I knew there was such a thing as adrenaline. Cat, I hope you didn’t make some big beefy guy cry, but if you did, high-5s.

  • Reply David Jackson December 19, 2011 at 8:27 am

    Entrepreneurs live by the words, ‘aggravation breeds innovation.’ No one wants to fix the things that add comfort to their lives, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it 🙂 Used to tell my students if it aggravates you it likely aggravates everyone else as well. Be the person with the courage, vision, and insanity to do something about it. So I don’t believe in getting uncomfortable, I believe in fixing the crap that makes me feel that way. If nothing aggravates you might as well be dead.

  • Reply Nate December 19, 2011 at 12:07 pm

    Funny, just saw you shopping at Bed Bath and Beyond, but didn’t see the cardboard house in your cart…

  • Reply Cody Zamboni December 19, 2011 at 10:19 pm

    Do something that makes me uncomfortable ???
    Let’s see
    I have a dentist appointment coming up.
    Let’s go without the Novocaine.
    Sounds very uncomfortable. and scary.
    what else?
    Listen to Justin Bieber, Menuedo, N,Sync music nonstop for a whole day.
    Truly daunting. Let’s do it.
    Next up. Large scale body tattoos.

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About Me

About Me
Born and raised on O‘ahu, Hawaiʻi, Catherine Toth Fox has been chronicling her adventures in her blog, The Cat Dish, for more than a decade. She worked as a newspaper reporter in Hawai‘i for 10 years and continues to freelance—in between teaching journalism, hitting the surf and eating everything in sight—for national and local print and online publications. She’s currently the editor of HAWAIʻI Magazine.

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