In 2014, I read a quote from Tim Ferris:
“A person's success in life can usually be measured by the number of uncomfortable conversations he or she is willing to have.”
It helped change my marriage.
Because I quickly realized there were uncomfortable conversations I wasn’t willing to have.
With my wife.
With myself.
With God.
I tend to see things in pictures.
Even today, when I read that quote, I see a path littered with obstacles.
And I imagine my goal is to make it to the other end of the path.
But the only way to get there is through the obstacles.
There’s no way around them.
There’s no way under them.
There’s no way over them.
The only way is through them.
And those obstacles are the uncomfortable conversations.
Over the years, I’ve grown willing to have those uncomfortable conversations - not every time, but enough times to notice the difference.
For years I heard the quote, “You’ve got to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.”
I’m not sure if this is truer anywhere than in the conversations you’re willing to have with yourself and others.
Here’s the good news.
We only have to have these conversations one at a time.
Meaning we’re only one conversation away from making progress.
Which conversation will it be?
We never know.
So we have to be willing to have them whenever they come up. And it helps to be grateful for the ones we’ve already had.
Today’s gratitude prompt: