I heard Jerry Seinfeld say this. It makes a lot of sense. The world is not ideal, so sometimes you need to just find the best in a bad situation.
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Tag: Comfort
The Comfort In Old Friends
Things always click with old friends. There is a real comfort in seeing them and knowing what you’re going to get.
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Discovery And Comfort
Do you love trying new things? Some people do, but others prefer their known comforts. Discovery and comfort both have their place in our lives. I imagine that most people would benefit from a little bit of both.
We need discovery to find and try new things. Then some of those things will become our favourites and give us comfort because we know them. However, if we get too accustomed to the known we will miss out on the not known.
Herein lies the conundrum of searching for more, new and novel versus sticking with what is known, safe and easy. Discovery allows us to find things that could bring us greater joy. However, comfort allows us to enjoy and appreciate that which we already have.
Many of us will have a favourite album, book or film. In addition to those, you might have a preferred restaurant, dish or dining companion.
Sticking with a favourite dish in a preferred restaurant eliminates the opportunity of finding something equally enjoyable or even better. Sometimes it is just the idea of having something different that is appealing.
Always searching for the latest, newest or most enjoyable item can also be quite tiring and leaves little time for appreciation. Although it can be rather exciting with many wonderful consequences.
There are upsides and downsides to discovery and comfort.
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Coasting Along Is Comfortable
We’ve all done it. We’ve put our feet up and just coasted. We could put in more work or work harder but we needed a break. Coasting along is comfortable. The challenge can come when it is time to take off the cruise control.
Now being comfortable is not a bad thing. It can be quite a good thing for your physical and mental health. And coasting is all relative too. If you are used to a 100 hour work week, dropping down to 70 might seem like a massive gear shift.
Timing is also relative. If you get on cruise control for two weeks of the year, that might be fine. However, if you are still on cruise control after two or three years, there may be a problem.
We all need a rest now and then. Though, having a continual rest may not be good for mind, body or soul. The saying, ”Use it or Lose it”, springs to mind here.
So remember to kick yourself in the pants once in a while. Few people will bother to remind you. But you need to get revved up about something and attack it.
Coasting along is comfortable. Just don’t make it your lifestyle.
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Doing What We Know
It may not always be good for us but doing what we know is often comforting. We have ingrained habits and neural pathways that make the familiar easier to do.
This would be fantastic news if we all had fabulous habits from our youth. However many people develop some coping mechanisms, or a few poor habits, when they are young. Development really depends on so many things.
The good habits, and the associated neural pathways, can be great if we’ve stumbled off our path. It makes it easier to get back to our previously efficient, focused and productive selves. Knowing we’ve done it before makes it easier to do again.
Although, it is also important to note that if you have improved various aspects of your life, you need to be careful not to slip into unproductive old ways. This is especially important if those older ways were unhelpful or destructive.
Some old habits, like eating, smoking, gambling and drinking can really disrupt our lives if relived with enthusiasm or without thought.
Another category is simply those little things we enjoy doing but that have minimal impact on our lives. An example of this is flopping on the sofa and listening to a few favourite tunes from younger days. It’s just something you enjoy doing and you know you’ll feel better after it.
By doing what we know, we can improve our lives or have it spiral downward. It can be a constant battle or our saving grace. Though eventually, you can make the good habits a part of your life. By continuing to overwrite our old programming, we can minimise the chance of back sliding.
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