Choosing discomfort is a superpower.

We often seek comfort, avoiding the things that make us uneasy or uncertain. But what if leaning into discomfort is actually the key to becoming stronger, more grounded, and more adaptable in life?

Cold showers have taught me to breathe through physical discomfort. Meditation has helped me sit with emotional discomfort. Both have conditioned me to face life’s challenges with more calm, clarity, and resilience.

At first, standing under icy water feels like a shock to the system. Every instinct tells you to escape, to turn the knob to warm, to resist. But when you stay and breathe through it, you realize that the discomfort is temporary. It doesn’t control you—you can meet it with presence, with acceptance, and eventually, with ease.

Meditation mirrors this in the realm of emotions. When difficult feelings arise—anxiety, sadness, frustration—our mind often scrambles to make sense of them, to fix them, or to push them away. But when we simply observe without judgment, without creating a story around them, they begin to lose their grip. We become more spacious, more at peace with what is.

Resilience isn’t about never feeling discomfort. It’s about meeting it without resistance, about training ourselves to stay present through the challenges rather than shutting down or avoiding them. And the more we practice, the more capacity we build—to take on new challenges, to navigate uncertainty, and to expand into the fullest version of ourselves.

So, have you experimented with a resiliency practice? Whether it’s cold showers, breathwork, meditation, or stepping outside your comfort zone in small ways, I’d love to hear how you build your inner strength.

All my best,

Cristan