that "chosen by a dragon" feeling

I was uncomfortable about traveling out of the country to stay with my brother and his wife for two months, both of whom I didn't know well and were ten years older than me; not to mention this would be the longest amount of time I had spent away from my home yet.

I was uncomfortable when I left to visit my friend across the globe after not seeing her for a year and a half, wondering if our friendship would be tested, if we had both changed too much, or if I could make a good impression on her friends.

I was uncomfortable at the start of college when I had to move out of the house and meet the stranger who would be my roommate for the next year, not knowing if I could build a community of friends or if I would be alone.

These are some of the most uncomfortable moments of my life so far, and they turned out to be the most fruitful as a result. Each experience has fostered personal growth and been one of the best experiences of my life. By the end of the two months I spent with my brother, I had built a relationship I never thought I would have with him and with my sister-in-law. By the end of my trip to visit my friend across the globe, I didn't want to leave her and had even more friends to visit in the future. And, lastly, I am still in college and can confirm that I did not end up the lonely stranger I worried I'd become. The best part is that all of these uncomfortable situations allowed me to improve and become a better version of myself than I was before, and I think these are the moments that make life worth living.

(Pinterest)

The feeling of changing or evolving with an uncomfortable experience and turning it into something amazing is one of those rare moments when it feels like I've figured out another puzzle piece of life, like I am actually doing life right. As I was thinking about how to describe the importance of putting ourselves into uncomfortable situations in order to grow, I thought this analogy would speak to people the most:

Uncomfortable situations are the exciting adventures and quests of life.

Real life may not involve as many exciting superpowers or dragons or prophecies that we read about in books or see in movies. But the feeling of embarking on an uncomfortable, unknown adventure and turning it into an experience full of growth feels pretty equivalent to being chosen by a dragon or something, ya know? In books and movies, there is so much character development achieved from adventures, and our character development happens through uncomfortable situations. To not only achieve a happy experience but also one through which you understand something new about yourself, something new about life, and become a better version of yourself because of it is something we should all strive for. Yet, we cannot achieve this while being comfortable.

So, from now on, if you haven't taken that solo trip, are avoiding moving to a new apartment, state, or country, are making up excuses to get out of every new social activity or putting off becoming a dragon rider because it all sounds too uncomfortable, think about the chance of growth that is being offered. Fight the feeling of being uncomfortable and think past that to what could be achieved. Think about the opportunity to discover more about yourself and more about life that is right in front of you. This is the movie-like adventure that you've been wishing for to make life a little more exciting. I remember so many times that I would start a conversation with, I would love to do that, but ... I'm not independent enough or I don't know anyone that's coming, or I don't know how. In other words, I am just saying that it sounds too uncomfortable; I am passing up an opportunity because I am unsure in my ability to handle it. But that's how every good story starts. The adventure may not turn out like something you read in books, but the feeling of growth that you get once you've taken on the adventure is the exciting part. We need to take advantage of these moments in life to change and evolve rather than turn down opportunities we deem too uncomfortable, missing out on a chance for important character development in the process.

If we were asked to describe life, we would probably describe most of it as mundane and boring, but no risk equals no reward. If you strive to live a comfortable life, you will probably achieve a comfortable, boring life. Going on adventures that you are comfortable with, no matter how fun they are, will not give you the chosen by a dragon feeling. However, if you strive to live a life full of uncomfortable moments, you could achieve so much more than that. The more risk you put in or the more uncomfortable situations you embrace, the more you will be rewarded, the more you will grow, the closer you will get to becoming the best version of yourself that you can possibly be, and the more likely it is that you will achieve the chosen by a dragon type of feeling.

There is so much that life has to offer, and we shouldn't miss out on it because we were too uncomfortable.