Point to Ponder: How often do you put yourself in challenging and uncomfortable situations?
“Did you know over these 2.5 millions years, our ancestors’ lives were intimately intertwined with discomfort. These people were constantly exposed to the elements. It was either too hot, too cold, too wet, too dry, too windy or too snowy out. The only escape from the weather was rudimentary shelter, like a cold, damp cave filled with bats and rats. Or some other crude structure that provided enough shelter to keep a person alive, but little else. Today, most of us live at 72 degrees, experiencing weather only during the two minutes it takes us to walk across the parking lot. Americans now spend about 93% of our time indoors in climate control. The modern comforts and conveniences that now most influence our daily experiences –cars, computers, televisions, climate control, smartphones, ultra-processed food and more–have been used by our species for about 100 years or less. That’s around 0.03 percent of the time we’ve walked on earth. Constant comfort is a radically new thing for us humans.” These are the words from a fascinating book I’m reading called The Comfort Crisis, which is perfectly timed for our mindset series, our 7-week challenge and to celebrate iGnite's 16th birthday (officially Oct 2).
Let’s start with the definition of “challenge’ and why we have our challenges and believe in discomfort:
Challenge: something that needs great mental or physical effort in order to be done successfully and therefore tests a person's ability
We offer our challenges because:
Challenge and discomfort promotes outcomes such as improved self-esteem, character building, psychological resilience, grit and growth (regardless of age). Growth is an iGnite core value
Challenge and discomfort provides a “toughening process” that leaves us better able to deal with all of life. When challenged we develop an internal capacity that leaves us more robust and resilient.
When we are challenged and push ourselves, we encounter a flow state, which is a key driver to happiness and growth, which has the potential to make life more rich, intense and meaningful. Per the words of Dr. Marcus Elliott (from The Comfort Crisis), it is essential for our survival to do hard $%*# ALL of the time.
According to The Comfort Crisis: "New bodies of evidence are showing that people are at their best–physically harder, mentally tougher and spiritually sounder–after experiencing discomforts. In fact, scientists are finding that certain discomforts protect us from physical and psychological problems like depression, anxiety, obesity, heart disease, cancer and diabetes and even more fundamental issues like feeling a lack of meaning and purpose."
In conclusion, whether discomfort and challenge for you means getting up early to exercise, adding exercise back into your life, finally pursuing the dream or whatever hard &%*# you've put off, I hope you’ll consider saying yes to it. I also hope you'll consider joining our "Get It Girl" challenge, because it's not too late. “Get it girl” is a fun saying, but in all seriousness, we create these challenges so we can practice being challenged, so that when (not if) life delivers challenges, you are better equipped--in body mind and spirit-- to not only handle the challenge, but to knock it out! We also have them so you can grow and be your best. Furthermore, the more you iGnite means the more connected you are to our incredible community of women (which is a whole other journal), giving you even more strength, wisdom and love to take on life challenges and to live your very best lives.
Action Item: Join our 7-Week "Get it Girl!" Challenge by replying "I'm ready to get it girl" to this email and get ready to crush it. Or, if not this challenge, find something hard and uncomfortable to conquer. You can do it!
7-Week Challenge: Oct 3 - Nov 20. The Goal: 30 classes
3 Class Modes Available:
In-person Classes
Live At-Home Classes
Video library- Max number of library classes that can be used for challenge is 1
Video Library Participation Only- 36 classes
Prizes for every finisher: You feel your very best + "Get It Girl" shirt.
Love,
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