Overcoming The Uncomfortable

"The Struggle Is Real!"  It's a saying we hear...or a hashtag we read.  But what does it mean?  Food choices?  Relationship problems?  Going to work each day for a job you don't love?  Maybe it is all of them.  So often then, comes the question of "How do I overcome the uncomfortable?"

A couple of weeks ago Misty and I went out for a run.  In this case, the struggle was real.  I didn't want to go, but she clearly did.  I would have been quite content going for a walk, listening to the birds, and looking for those first signs of spring.  But alas, she was pulling, making it clear we were going to jog, not walk.  We've got a three-mile course that's a straight shot, u turn and return, so we headed out.  Frankly, I just wasn't feeling it, but as usual, the more I watched Misty, and the more I coached her through the run, I came to realize I had made a decision.  I followed her up the hills because I had no choice--I could have walked, but I would have slowed down her progress, and I would have been annoyed at myself for getting in her (and my own) way.  And because of that decision, I ultimately served myself better which meant the rest of my day--my role as a parent, a wife, a friend, a business owner--would all go more smoothly.  

This run, this lesson for me, was less about being a leader and more about being a follower.  And if not a follower, at least a leader that recognizes that sometimes we have to lean on others, trust in their guidance, and listen to their nudgings that get us through the suck.  Whether it is fitness, work, love, or just life, your foundation of strength comes from within.  However, the supporting structures--those things that make the foundation sound even on days it feels rocky--are important too.  Big things can be achieved by accepting help when it is offered, and allowing others to give you their strength is not only a gift to you, but to them as well.

Are you willing to lean on others?