Kweku's Cypher: Are You Chasing Comfort?

This morning, I laced up for my workout and made a seemingly harmless choice. I recently bought a new pair of running shoes. They look great, but they still feel a little clunky, like new shoes. So I reached for my old pair instead. They fit my feet perfectly. They felt like home.

As I write this, my shins are aching.

What I didn't realize is that the new shoes were doing something the old ones no longer could. They had more support, more cushion, and more sturdiness for my feet and shins. I traded what I needed for what felt familiar, and my body is paying for it.

That got me thinking: What are you comfortable with that you shouldn't be?

Is it your job? Your relationship? Your church? Your effort at the gym? Comfort is nice. We all want it. But comfort and growth rarely live in the same house.

Discomfort Builds Muscle

Ask anyone who exercises. Muscle grows when it is challenged, stretched, and pushed past what it is used to. Discomfort is not immediate gratification. It does not feel good in the moment. But it is where strength is built.

Comfort, on the other hand, gets stale. It gets complacent. Over time, it becomes unproductive. And sometimes, like my old shoes, comfort is quietly causing harm we don't notice until it hurts.

How Do You Know?

Here are a few signs you may be too comfortable:

• You are going through the motions.
• The passion is gone.
• No real effort is needed.
• You stay because it's easy, not because it's right.

Comfort can also cost us. While we hold on to what feels familiar, we may be missing out on something better: a new role, a healthier relationship, a community that challenges us to grow.

Take a Moment

As you read this, something, someone, or some place has probably come to mind. Don't push it away. Sit with it and ask yourself:

• Do I need to move on?
• Am I here because it's easy, or because I'm just used to it?
• Is this comfort causing me long-term hurt?
• What would it look like to push myself?

New shoes feel clunky at first. So do new habits, new jobs, and new beginnings. That awkward feeling is not a sign you made the wrong choice. Often, it's a sign you are being supported in ways you can't feel yet.

So the question remains: Comfort. Do you want it, or do you need it?

Tomorrow, I'm wearing the new shoes.