Comfort assists subtle avoidance, stifling growth beyond the comfort zone's glass.

The kind of discomfort that shows up around being seen might be a directional cue.

Discomfort can nudge growth beyond familiar, fixed versions of ourselves.

Kurt Vonnegut once said, “Stay in New York too long, you get too hard. Stay in Los Angeles too long, you get too soft.” I live in Los Angeles, which means I have, over time, developed a highly refined relationship to comfort.

If you asked me what matters most to me, I would not say comfort. I would say growth, or truth, or connection. Something with a little more spine. And yet, if you tracked my behavior over the course of a week, you might reasonably conclude that my guiding principle is: avoid unnecessary discomfort at all costs.

Lately, I’ve been trying to interrupt that.

The Problem With Comfort

Comfort is persuasive. It doesn’t present itself as avoidance. It presents itself as discernment. “This isn’t the right moment.” “I should wait until I’m better at this.” “There’s no need to rush.”

Meanwhile, the things that actually matter tend to sit just outside the comfort zone, tapping politely at the glass. The email you don’t send. The idea you don’t voice. The project you don’t begin because it would........

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