Embrace Discomfort Rather Than Fear
PODCAST SCRIPT for Shift Today with Alison Episode #40
There is a difference between being stuck in discomfort when leading with our intuition versus when we’re stuck in fear and letting illusions get the best of us.
So I'm going to begin by sharing some simple examples of what it feels like to listen to your intuition. These are examples are ones that I believe everyone can relate to:
What do we do when something is too hot and is physically burning us? The answer seems simple - we pull away. Or we'll put on pot holders to pull something out of the oven.
Recently as I was taking a dish of baked rice out of the oven, I dropped it, and I burned myself, which is super uncomfortable - realizing that I needed to slow down.
Here's another example:
Do you put on sunscreen for protection from sunburn?
What happens if you don't put on sunscreen and you're in the sun for an extended period of time?
Well, you might get burned. And it could be so severe that you then have to live with the Discomfort while your skin heals.
Have you ever experienced one of these examples? Maybe being burned by the oven, a hot pot, scalding water, sunburn, curling iron, hot pavement burn, coffee or tea burn, etc.?
I use these examples because this is how our body and intuition work together to keep us safe.
When we physically get burned, we gain the knowledge to protect ourselves in the future. This knowledge then activates wisdom of the process we need to take to avoid getting burned in the future.
Does this mean we won't get burned? Unfortunately, not always, but if we stay present and listen to our intuition, then we'll stay in the flow of the wisdom we've attained.
FYI we're gonna get burned - it happens.
Here's another example
When your body tells us that it's hungry, what do we do if we're living with intention? We nourish it in a healthy way to be strong - right.
Suppose we're stuck in our ego and leading with expectation. In that case, we're possibly starving so we can fit a certain mold or loading ourselves up with unhealthy processed foods for instant gratification.
Here's another super simple example:
When your body tells you that you have to go to the bathroom, the healthy choice is to go and not hold it too long because that's not healthy. Plus, something disgusting might happen.
But what do we do to our kids in this uncomfortable situation? We tell them to hold it because it's inconvenient. UGH, I can't tell you how many times my life has been taken off course/interrupted because my kids had to go to the bathroom. My flow gets thrown off - but I NOW I believe it's for a reason - sometimes unknown.
Living with intention and flowing with our intuition isn't rainbows and butterflies or the perfect wave or perfect golf shot; it's life.
But if we're doing our bests to stay in the flow, then yes, we'll be able to recognize the beauty in the moment and embrace the wisdom of the Discomfort.
Intuition and Discomfort are part of the same family, while fear and expectation are part of a different cluster.
Discomfort = being annoyed, basically being uncomfortable or uneasy, and there are many emotions, circumstances, and life moments that create Discomfort.
By embracing Discomfort, you are allowing yourself to do many things, such as
Feel what grief feels like
Feel anxiety
Feel scared to be happy
Feel overwhelmed
Feel the energy from others; this is what an empath lives with daily
Feel love
Feeling of letting someone go who has been in your life "forever."
Feeling of joy
Feeling of concern
Irritation
Haunted
Peeved
Embarrassed
Flustered
Mortified
Remember, feelings are just that feelings, not a place to reside.
I view Discomfort as a wake-up call to what I need to be paying attention to - there is a nugget of wisdom waiting to be uncovered that I'm ready to experience, learn, engage with and soak it.
On the flip side - Fear = an unpleasant, often strong emotion caused by anticipation of danger - a state of being marked by feeling.
By embracing fear, you're opening up your mind, body, and spirit to lead the anxiety of illusion of the danger or the lack of living your life.
Some might be afraid of that statement, but if you allow yourself to pause and listen to a little voice in your mind telling you something that might sound silly, unreasonable, or strange, then you might find out how to hop into the flow of living in an intentional life rather than expectational (not a real word, but I like it) life.
I'm not saying fear isn't a real thing, because it is, and we need to be mindful of the difference of fear fueled by illusion, meaning being terrified of what might happen, VS the Discomfort of reality.
Example time. These are recent examples, and I'd like to share with you when fear of others was met with my Discomfort and how I navigated the situations.
Michigan trip when the car won't start
Leaving the door open on a beautiful day and flies getting in - what the flies represent to everyone
Connecting to your physical pain and listening to your body VS being told what is wrong with you
Having more confidence in someone else's experiences than your own
SO the big question is usually how do I connect to my intuition.
One day at a time.
I now know very clearly when I'm not living with intention and listening to my intuition, and just recently, I've been struggling to stay present and trying to live in my Discomfort. But I'm also human, and life happens.
Here are some of my intuition stories beginning when I was a child:
When I was young, dating back to before I was ten years old, my intuition told me that I needed to keep one of my family members at a distance. This family member was not a nice person when they were drinking, and I'd do my best to stay away from them, but being a small child, I was forced to spend time with this person. As an adult, I realize that this person struggles with alcohol because they were raised in a family of abusers. And unfortunately, they aren't strong enough to take a different path. I love this person because when they are sober, they are enjoyable, but I know to keep my distance when they are drinking.
At a young age, my intuition told me that I had psychic abilities. Meaning I can connect with the divine spirits who deliver a message to me for others. I can feel the better direction to take than what someone else thinks I should take. And I can feel this for others too. But as a young person, I was put into a box and told what I should and shouldn't be, feel, do, etc.
My intuition told me to move across the country - from Chicago to Denver - because it was time for me to live MY life. I did because I was listening - significant Discomfort - financially, love, jobs, relationships, etc.
My intuition told me not to get married the first time, and so did my mom, but the Should Shields that I was raised with told me that he was as good as I was going to get. However, here is a situation where I turned the fear of being alone into the Discomfort of what I needed to learn to grow. Looking back, this was a moment that I'm glad I went against my intuition, and this needs to be known that we need also to be aware of the wisdom that can be gained when we jump back into the flow.
My intuition told me that I needed to attend a professional class in Chicago - and my whole life changed because I met my now-husband, who I knew was my person right away, and we've been together for 16 years.
My intuition told me that I needed to start working as an Intuitive Coach and become a Reiki Master.
Recognition of Discomfort:
I believe that people are in my path for a reason, and I need to wake up to the planted wisdom. Moving to Little Rock and friendships - examples.
I can't teach someone something that they're not ready to absorb, but I can plant a seed for when they're ready to connect. This is 100% a parental learning curve.
I can't teach something that I don't already know or have experienced.
Someone can't root for you if they're not rooting for themselves.
When has something been too good to be true in your life? And why is that hard to embrace? Because we've been taught that things need to be hard and scary.
Just for today, ask yourself are you having a moment of Discomfort or are you stuck in fear? The difference is real. Then hop back into the flow of your intuition.
©️2021 Alison Schuh Hawsey
