Written by: Antonie Ziegler, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
The trick to self-growth and transformation is staying comfortable in the uncomfortable. It’s not easy, actually can be pretty painful sometimes. And yet it’s the only way to grow, expand and evolve. It has been my path of healing, growth, and transformation.
Starting out as a beginner in yoga I had to endure a lot of physical pain and discomfort. Getting in and out of poses felt awkward. My feet hurt so badly that at times I just wanted to walk away.
In retrospect, yoga taught me to be comfortable in the uncomfortable. Enduring the discomfort made my feet stronger, healthier. I developed an inner strength as I learned to breathe through the uncomfortable rather than fighting it.
The next big step for me happened when I discovered a self-growth program. I was at a stage in my life where I realized that there was too much at stake staying stuck in the misery I experienced constantly. I just couldn’t bear the pain anymore.
I chose to face the truth of what was really happening in my life. I learned to connect with my emotions rather than pushing them away. I was able to get to the core of what was holding me back from living a life I love.
Was it comfortable? Not at all. But understanding that I don’t have to identify with my lived experiences and the stories in my head, I started to shed layers of false belief, patterns and showed up as who I really am. And that was worth all the discomfort. I discovered the authentic joy that had always be a part of me.
Have you ever seen a snake shedding its skin? She sheds her skin because she has outgrown the old one. Shedding also allows her to get rid of pests that inhabit her growth and health. As natural as it looks the process is very stressful for her. Despite that she does it repeatedly throughout her lifetime.
The shedding of the snake’s skin is a great analogy to letting go of our past and all the stories that are part of us. It takes tremendous courage. We get so used to them in our lifetime, that we believe it’s the only truth we can live by. It’s the familiarity that makes us stay. And who can deny that we are a creature of habits.
In order for us to heal and grow we need to let go, to shed what no longer serves us. And it’s a continuous process. There are many layers to it – perhaps the work will never get done in this lifetime.
It’s our choice if we want to grow, expand, and evolve. It’s about willing to stay comfortable in the uncomfortable. If you do, the uncomfortable will become the new comfortable. And I promise, this is where shift happens.
Antonie Ziegler, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Antonie is a dedicated and certified deep dive transformational coach and shamanic energy medicine practitioner. She is committed to become the change she wishes to see in the world: happy, healthy and thriving. Having spent almost her whole life attempting to run, avoid and hide from the pain of her childhood, she dived deep into her own personal development and climbed out of her misery through what she now calls her “Cut Looze Formula”.
Antonie is passionate about helping others to heal and become the best version of themselves.
