From Discomfort Comes Growth

In his book, The Healing Journey for Adult Children of Alcoholics, author Darryl E. Quick revealed that many ACOAs feel isolated and disconnected with people around them.  I certainly feel that way in social settings, especially around new people.  Quick says that it is vital for ACOAs to reach out and risk contact with others.  This way we can gain support, encouragement and the needed reality checks that help restore sanity to our chaotic existence.

Although many of us express the need to change, underneath lies a strong resistance to change.  It really does seem that for most of us the more things we want to change, the more things stay the same. We like to stay in our comfort zone.

This rings true for me.  There are three reasons why we should embrace discomfort, whether we deliberately choose it, or it simply happens to us.

1. Comfort is overrated.  It doesn't lead to happiness.  It makes us lazy and forgetful.  It often leads to self-absorption, boredom, and discontent.
2. Discomfort is a catalyst for growth.  It makes us yearn for something more.  It forces us to change, stretch, and adapt.
3. Discomfort is a sign we're making process.  You've heard the expression, no pain, no gain. It's true! When you push yourself to grow, you will experience discomfort, but in the end, it's worth it.  

The bottom line is you can either be comfortable and stagnate or stretch yourself; become uncomfortable and grow.  You may think that comfort leads to happiness; it doesn't.  Happiness comes from growth and feeling like you are making process.

Hi, I'm Liz Hawkins and I'm an Adult Child of an Alcoholic.