Millennials (or not), it is our turn to go through it. Our generation is realizing that there is more to life than the prescribed pattern that society has been pushing down our throats in pretty much every culture. It is believed that in this “known” path we will find comfort and stability, but does comfort and stability bring true peace? True satisfaction?
Nobody likes to feel uncomfortable. I have been avoiding uncomfortable situations since I can remember. Somewhere along the way though, something in me pushed me to dare to be uncomfortable. Perhaps it was curiosity to know what lies beyond this state of being. Maybe I needed solid answers as to WHY the “known” path is the best path and I felt the need to figure it out on my own. I am also highly aware of my surroundings and consider myself a very empathetic being (needless to say emotional as well). When I constantly heard and witnessed stories from people who were dissatisfied with their lives but refused to change it because of comfort, it really sparked something in me. How much of ourselves are we willing to sacrifice because of comfort? What are we missing out on when we prioritize comfort over authenticity? I had to face it. I was not completely fulfilled with my lifestyle. I felt like I had to be. I also thought that this fulfillment will eventually arrive. But how long was I willing to wait? Was there something wrong with me for not feeling this satisfaction with comfort that everyone else was somehow feeling? Did I miss out on something? I have heard that one of people’s biggest fears is being judged. And if I was outspoken about how I really felt, would I be judged as ungrateful? I know that I have always been #Blessed. I’ve had everything to be content, at least based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Entonces, WHY WAS I HAVING A LIFE CRISIS? Perhaps I was too comfortable. So the most logical thing to do was to venture into the uncomfortable. Maybe by putting myself in uncomfortable situations I would get the answers I was desperately seeking.
So my first decision into this journey of uncomfortableness was going back to graduate school. It had been 5 years since I had graduated college, so becoming a student again at age 26 was definitely going to be a challenge. I had two options: pursue a master’s degree in education, a career field that I had embraced for the past 4 years, or just venture into something completely new. Now here’s a thing about me: I am intense. I truly embrace the “Go Big or Go Home” philosophy. So naturally I chose option 2. Then I thought, hmm… how can I make myself even more uncomfortable? Moving to a different country, DUH! So I applied to business school in Spain. As if this wasn’t already one the most radical transformations I have put myself through, the world gets hit with a global pandemic. A challenge that nobody personally decided to take but everyone has to face. All of a sudden the voice (anxiety) I have been struggling to shut up gets louder than ever. What if this doesn’t work? Did you really have to put yourself through this? Why are you doing this to yourself? You have 0 rationality! So here I am once again, trying to control that voice by telling it that this is part of the journey. We are here to learn how to be comfortable with the uncomfortable.
One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again.
Abraham Maslow
P.S: Shout out to my loving and supporting community. Like I said, I have been #BLESSED with the most amazing family and friends who no matter the time difference or the circumstance are always there to listen to my rants and love me despite my ugly crying face. ¡Los amo!
What the thoughts? 