Comments on: Why Growth Is Better If It Don’t Come Cheap

By: Adam Kayce

Adam Kayce — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:51:30 +0000

Thanks, Glenford. I agree totally with what you said:

the way to transcend my current reality is to boldly confront and challenge my fears; and enjoy the terror of discomfort and insecurity.

Sometimes there's just no way around the fear, and the only move we have is to fasten our seat belts and go for it. One of my long-time favorite quotes is from David Lloyd George, who said:

... there are times you need the courage to take a great leap; you can’t cross a chasm in two small jumps.

Thanks for joining in!

By: Glenford Smith

Glenford Smith — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 15:43:17 +0000

It’s refreshing to come across individuals like yourself. I am inspired by your post. It’s just recently (months) that I’ve arrived at this very insight – that the way to transcend my current reality is to boldly confront and challenge my fears; and enjoy the terror of discomfort and insecurity. It’s simple: One cannot move to another level if they insist on staying at the level they are at. As I read your post, it reminded me of a section in Steven Pressfield’s awesome book The War of Art, in which he asserts that being an artist is comparable to being a Marine – you have to love being miserable. That’s the same as your saying Embrace the Suck. This is what he says: “The artist committing himself to his calling has volunteered for hell, whether he knows it or not. He will be dining for the duration on a diet of isolation, rejection, self-doubt, despair, ridicule, contempt, and humilation. The artist must be like that Marine. He has to know how to be miserable. He has to love being miserable. He has to take pride in being more miserable than any solidier or swabbie or jet jockey. Because this is war, baby. And war is hell.”
Thanks Adam. Bless.

By: Adam Kayce

Adam Kayce — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 15:54:57 +0000

Thanks, Char – and you make great points about the yin/yang of the whole process, and how we go back and forth between times of relative ease and hardship.

It’s the waxing and waning, I think, that gives us balance – not trying to control our lives to always have it peaceful and easy, which many do (try, that is, not have it easy!). Learn/grow/push, then rest – for it’s in the rest times that we actually get stronger – and then push/learn/grow again. Expanding our boundaries through mini-cycles of on-again, off-again.

Oh well, I may not have explained that so well myself, but I think we’re on the same wavelength.

By: Char Brooks

Char Brooks — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 18:17:58 +0000

I enjoyed your perspective on this one Adam. For me, personally, since I’ve pushed so hard and know my strength, resilience, stamina come through for me as a first reaction rather than a learned one – I lean more towards the empathy, compassion, trusting myself point rather than testing myself to see if I can jump one more hurdle.

Hurdle jumping is something I’ve always done and I do naturally. Trusting myself is what really shows me what I’m made of at this time in my life.

This has been pretty much my nature all my life:
“If you can look at a challenge, know it’s going to bite you in the ass, and still get yourself up to the starting line, then you’re playing the game for real.”
The harder part has been trusting myself to create challenges that I really want to work with and THEN finding my stamina and strength. Creating in essence – rather than being a victim or reacting to others.

It’s never one or the other as you know. That’s why we have up and down, in and out, yin and yang.

It makes sense to me. . . though I may not have articulated it too clearly. It is a great picture though – and I’ve been in that spot many times before. Thanks Adam – I learn a lot from reading your stuff.

By: Adam Kayce

Adam Kayce — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 18:14:52 +0000

Wow, either this one offended people, or the picture scared you all away...