Mermazement: Tales from Beyond Comfort

Sunrise above the clouds.
Surf the crisp island air.
Snorkel gorgeous reefs.
Swim with sea turtles.
Cycle 26 miles down the side of a volcano.

A short list of things I did last week in Maui. And when I returned home and shared my adventures, do you know what my children asked me, excitedly: "Mommy, you didn't get eaten by a shark?!" Me, standing there alive and well: "No... no, I didn't get eaten by a shark."

With elated exclamations of amazement: "Mommy! You are so brave!!!"

I wasn't quite sure if they would have been more impressed if I had been eaten by a shark. But, I was glad to have impressed them with my survival all the same.

Who knew that putting myself out of my comfort zone in all these real ways would pale in comparison to the perceived threat these children imagined me to face. But they were right about one thing: I am brave.

Even though I personally made all the plans to do these adventure excursions on my vacation, the reality of facing them in the moment was not always easy. In fact, I did doubt myself a few times and wondered whether I might have just as good a time watching others participate.

A few really poignant things helped me realize that I couldn't back out from any of these opportunities. The first was a message I heard this summer from an amazing speaker, Michelle Poler, who is the founder of HelloFears. She said something during her talk that I think of every single day: "The enemy of success is not failure, it is comfort." Then, she asked: "What are you willing to get uncomfortable for?"

My fear wasn't really fear at all. It was the reality of looking at my own comfort and challenging it. I wasn't afraid of any of these adventures, in fact, I was excited by them. But the prospect of their enormity and potential dangers did make me uncomfortable. What if I sat back down? What if I took off my flippers? What if I took the bus instead of the bike? I would have gotten back to where I started comfortably, and wondered forever: What if?

I made myself uncomfortable. Over and over again. And each time, do you know what I found on the other side? Something better.

Infinitely richer experiences, rushes, thrills, and vistas, all mine for the taking. In fact, it was as if each of these experiences catapulted me right out of comfort and into the most exhilarating discomfort I have ever known.

Is there a word for that? Positive discomfort? I'm going to make one, just in case: Mermazement.

Wishing you the courage to give yourself this feeling. Over and over again. Shaka!

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