If the hot water stopped working, most of us might try to reason our way out of having a cold shower. We might tell ourselves that we will wait till the next day, that we aren’t that smelly and that there is no point in putting up with that much discomfort. Unless of course, you have an important event you were looking forward to going to and it is really important for you to look, feel and smell good. In both situations, the water would be the same cold temperature but surely the second scenario would be preferable if you had to chose between the two?
The point is that in life whether you like it or not you will have to face many cold showers. You will have to face discomfort and pain but if you face it in the service of life experiences that are valuable to you, then you won’t mind the discomfort so much. We should strive to be more psychologically flexible and part of that means knowing your values, the direction you want to take in life and embarking on that journey with an eager willingness to feel the discomfort of life and the tough moments.
As humans we have a whole spectrum of emotions and feelings yet we are often selective as to which ones we want to have. And that emotional pickiness brings discomfort and pain eventually but leaves us rigid in dealing with them when they came. Starting off with a different, more willing and flexible mindset can help you. As well as taking cold showers.
Originally published at medium.com