Discomfort might just be the thing you need to get going.

So many nights, as I sat on the couch typing posts or doing some other kind of backend work for my blog, I wondered why I couldn’t just sleep as everyone else. “Why don’t you just sleep?” I will ask myself.

“Or maybe just close your laptop and watch a movie? Why are you always awake in the heart of night while others are sleeping?” I often asked myself these questions and I even worried that something was anomalous about me.

It’s because though I had no 9-5 job, I was always working away very hard at something. I was always restless with loads of ideas on my mind which I worked hard to set into motion.

I wondered why I couldn’t just be a Stay at Home Mom, take care of my kids and do nothing else. While I enjoy my kids and totally enjoy seeing them for most of my day, there was something on the inside of me, pulling me to do stuff. Write something and share. Type a recipe and share. Do you know you could make a recipe video and put online? For these reasons, I couldn’t just jump into bed and sleep when the world around me slept.

I had to sacrifice some of my sleep time for work. I would sleep late and wake up early so I could get some work done before my kiddos woke up.

Then one day it dawned on me. My dreams were not made to be achieved in a place of comfort. I am not supposed to sleep for 8 straight hours every night because that is the sane human thing to do. While I appreciate and value my sleep, sometimes I have to sacrifice that sleep and pursue purpose.

You see, when you have a dream, sometimes you will be awake when others are sleeping. Sometimes you will work while others are partying. You. Can’t. Just. Be. Like. Everyone Else.

Be uncomfortable.

Embrace nights of staying up and chasing your dreams instead of being asleep and dreaming. Embrace learning new things so that you can become the person God wants you to be.

Embrace cracking rocks to bring out water. Your dreams were not meant to be achieved on a platter of gold. They were meant to be achieved through hard work and tenacity.

So get uncomfortable. Embrace sweating and giving your all to ensure that your God-given dream comes to pass. Discomfort is the key to success.

To become comfortable, you have to uncomfortable at some point. Just like Jesus who experienced tremendous discomfort at the cross. It wasn’t a pleasant experience for Him at all. Before His death, while He prayed at Gethsemane, He even asked God to take away the cup of suffering for Him. It was too hard to bear. Sometimes on your path to destiny, you will experience situations that are so hard to bear. ESPECIALLY when you are about to hit a major milestone.

After the blood, sweat, and tears Jesus experienced, well guess what? Today, He is sitting at the right hand of God the Father!

You will not wake up every morning with the motivation to rise and conquer your world. But you must embrace the discomfort of waking up and doing things that you necessarily might not want to do.

I read a devotional by Pastor Rick Warren in which he said he has considered quitting his job several times. But he had to push himself to keep going. That motivated me because I thought as a successful pastor, the one who wrote the best selling book,  “The Purpose-Driven Life”, he would wake up everyday with a strong drive to fulfill his purpose. But that has not always been the case. He has had to push himself over and over again to do what he needs to do.

A lot of people achieving great things are people who just choose to push themselves all the time. If you rely on your will to rise and work, you might never be able to do anything meaningful. So you have to push yourself.

Get out of your comfort zone. You won’t grow in the comfort zone but you will grow when you step out into the waters. Get wet. Get learning. Get working. Knock on doors to open. Knock on them again. Encourage yourself. Learn things you have never learned before. Keep growing.

I am still a work in progress. I am still learning everyday and growing. But one lesson I am taking along with me is I need to be uncomfortable and that’s okay. Discomfort is a necessary part of my journey.