As a child, did you ever play with magnets? When I was a kid I know I sure did. It was exciting to see how close you could get them before they would stick together. Or see if you were strong enough to make the 2 positive charged ones touch (because they repelled each other).
I always thought that was how Mary McFly’s hover board must have worked in Back To The Future 2!
Each one of us also has a natural tendency to be drawn in certain directions. When I am hungry I have a natural gravitational pull towards a burger and fries. My little girl has a natural tendency to ask for more stickers even when her arm and face are covered with them.
One of those areas that we have a natural draw towards is comfort. There’s just something comforting about comfort.
Image courtesy Stuart Miles/DigitalPhotos.net
Comfort is the absence of:
- Stress
- Pressure
- Expectation
- Inconvenience
It is easy to be drawn to being comfortable. It is almost our default.
We even get really irritated and become frustrated when we aren’t comfortable. We complain when it’s too hot outside or when we have to get up early to travel.
There is also a natural draw towards success. I know you want to do well at what you do. You want to be recognized for doing well and to reap some of the rewards for doing well.
On the other hand, success requires:
- Hard work
- Sacrifice
- Early morning and late nights
- Expectation
- Pressure
Success and comfort, although desired by most people are actually competing desires.
They are almost like planets with their own gravitational pull. Depending on what planet you are the closest to will determine what pull you feel greater.
This is solely based on your proximity. This doesn’t mean that is the idea or what should be.
If you are used to living the comfortable life, then you are going to feel a stronger desire to continue that level of comfort.
On the other hand, if you have experienced some level of success, tasted what it feels like to do well and have even seen some fruits of your labor flourish, than you actually begin to feel that draw even stronger.
Success will breed a type of comfort that is rewarding. Whereas comfort just breeds the kind of comfort that self-defeats and will never satisfy our desire for meaning.
I am sure of 2 things about you:
1. You want to experience success in your life
2. You want to be as comfortable as possible
If this is true, moments will come when you will need to decide which desire wins. Whichever desire you choose will strengthen its gravitational pull on you.
Whenever a rocket is trying to break the gravitational pull of the earth it needs to exert a lot of energy. You may feel that way as you begin to choose success, but you will build momentum as you go!
