We cannot simultaneously desire change and comfort.

Change, of the sort that matters most, requires discomfort and particularly, the discomfort from being under pressure.

Could be the pressure of a hard decision or conversation. A time-sensitive matter. A physical issue. A relationship. A financial challenge.

Whatever it is, it's got your attention. It's helping you realise that something in your status quo is not working or serving you to the best of its ability.

Quite likely, you know what needs to be done but you're afraid to do it. That's pressure. Knowing what needs to be done but not feeling suitably able to do it.

It's at this point of inflection where we either push forward toward a solution or retreat back into the problem. One decision is by no means more noble than the other. Both carry equal value. The question is whether or not your decision is going to sit right with you in the end, which is something only you can answer.

Pushing forward or turning towards the pressure asks you to let go of control. It's like stepping into an uncharted part of a map. There are no familiar reference points. No signs pointing the way. You are forced then to rely on a different set of faculties to get where you want to go, namely, your intuition and present-moment awareness.

Meeting the pressure brings you into the unknown where you no doubt rely on technique you have already developed but where you also learn entirely new approaches informed from your moment-by-moment understanding, as the new map begins to appear.

Like learning to swim or ride a bike, this work is both nerve wracking and a lot of fun.* You get to see what you are made out of and, many times, you see you are much stronger than you thought yourself to be.

* Nobody said it needs to be pretty.