Being comfortable in the uncomfortable

"If you are irritated by every rub, how will you be polished?"
  ~ Rumi

Right now our life is in an area of transition.  Doors closing, new ones opening.  It can leave one feeling anxious, nervous, and uncertain.  Or positive, hopeful and excited about new opportunities.  It all depends on how you look at it.

If you are like me, it is most likely all of the above.

One of things that I most proud of with both David and myself is that we are not afraid to take risk.  Sometimes those risks pay off and sometimes they don't.  And with all risk, there is uncomfortable uncertainty.

8 years ago, David and I quit our corporate IT jobs with our high salaries, packed up all of our stuff, and moved to Austin where we did not know one single person.  We wanted a better life for ourselves in a city that we both loved working in jobs that we were excited about.  Some people thought we were crazy as it was right when the IT bust was happening and Austin had been hit hard.  To their credit, we probably were a little crazy.  But we tried to be smart about it and had 6 months of living expenses stashed away and we were young enough to believe that all it took to make it was some hard work. My motto was that if your really want happiness, then you must be willing to fight for it.

Our risk finally paid off and we both found jobs in new industries within 6 months of living in Austin and we began the life that we had always wanted.  But the journey to get there was hard and often very discouraging.  I am not a person that likes uncertainty.  I would rather know bad news for sure than to not know anything at all.  Because at least when I know something is for sure, I can start planning a battle strategy to work though it. That is just how my brain works.

Being comfortable in the uncomfortable is something that I was introduced to during that 6 month stretch of uncertainty back in 2003.  And with all good life learnings, it was not something that came easily.  I learned that hard work is indeed a critical component in achieving one's goals.  But luck is another big one too.  As well as pure stubborness so that you don't give up too easy.  I have the hard work and the stubborness down pat... the luck, not so much.  She is a fickle friend that is often hard to get a hold of.

Another time of uncertainty was back in early 2009.  Within 1 week, David lost his job, started a new company, my agency announced lay-offs, and I found out that I was pregnant with Little B.  Talk about a crazy week and I could not even have a glass of wine at the end of it to take the edge off.  The rest of that year was intense to say the least.  But we kept our heads above water and were elated when we delivered a healthy baby girl in late September.  We were comfortable in the uncomfortable.

And now here we are again.  There are talks of switching jobs, selling our house, moving to a different city, making new friends.  But nothing is for sure... yet.  So we sit with our uncertainty trying to be comfortable in the uncomfortable.

While I would never claim to be handling our uncertainty well, I am striving to be all zen about it while we wait for the dust to settle.  Is a new adventure right around the corner? I don't know.  It could be fun.  But until then, I am focusing on the certain things that I do have, the fun things of today.  My little girl, my family, my awesome friends, the promise of cooler temperatures, and the chicken that is currently roasting in the oven.

Living in the moment, baby!

So tell me... what have been your best moments of being comfortable in the uncomfortable?  I really would love to hear them. They will give me the strength to stay on the positive, hopeful, and excited side of the mental divide.