I’ve had several situations over the past few years where I’ve needed to accept that I was in an uncomfortable situation that I couldn’t control.

I noticed that the phrase “accept/submit to the process” is something that cropped up lot’s when listening to various podcasts (@RichRoll is one of my favs).

The serenity prayer sums this up perfectly:

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

The original prayer goes on to say:

Living one day at a time;
enjoying one moment at a time;
accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
that I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
forever in the next.
Amen.
reinhold niebuhr (1892-1971)

The control freak inside, the person who wants to ‘solve and fix’ avoids sitting with an uncontrollable situation. Even if I can see a fix, the timing is out of my hands and will take an indefinite amount of time.

Timing is something that has forced me to learn more about myself, when I can’t get what I am aiming for now I am forced to sit with my feelings and it gives me an opportunity to understand what is really going on inside. I didn’t seek this lesson out, it was forced on me, but I’ve become grateful for it.

The phrase “get comfortable being uncomfortable” is something that I repeat when in training, racing and in all situations in life. It also guards against victim mentality as you start to acknowledge and submit to the discomfort and in someway become grateful for it.

Growth comes from being uncomfortable. I now know that I have grown as an individual most when I’ve been through a tough time, so, why is it that I still resist?

I’m writing this during the Coronavirus epedemic, it’s day forty four of lockdown and I’m uncomfortable. I want it to be over now and want to get back to work. I feel like a caged Lion and want to get out and hunt.

I’m managing a company of 60 staff in the events industry which has shutdown completely, more or less overnight. I can deal with this, I can deal with all the “knowns” and make decisive action, what I struggle with is not knowing the future. When will the industry open? In what way? Will there be a demand? If so, what kind of demand in which markets? How will social distancing affect events? So many more questions.

One thing I know is that after this, as a result of this particular situation I’ll be better off. I’ll be stronger again, the more pressure we come up against the stronger we become. I should welcome this discomfort instead of fight it, accept and submit to the process once again.