Many years ago, I made the decision that I wanted to wear contact lenses. No longer would glasses get in my way or would I fumble around prescription sunglasses that I'm sure I had left just over there. It sounded like a brilliant solution, and would ultimately bring freedom. There was one problem though. It is very uncomfortable putting things into your eye when you are not used to doing so and really begs the question of who thought this was a good idea in the first place? The struggle was real, if those bad boys didn't go in first time then there was a real agony to prying open my eyelid and place the flimsy lens in some sort of position that it might settle, allowing me clarity of vision providing the oils from my finger didn't contaminate the surface of the lens. It's safe to say that I didn't embrace this discomfort as thoroughly as I could have initially, even arriving back at the optometrist for my checkup wearing glasses instead of the aforementioned lens of agony. It was then that the stark reality hit through a simple statement, "It is up to you whether you want to wear contact lenses or not".
In life, there are some simple decisions to be made. A do or do not do is the most basic of these however there are other instances where a decision corresponds to a new pathway. A great example is the pick a path books where you are given a series of options that progress your story in both an undetermined yet predetermined way. If you want to hedge your bets, you can always leave a finger in the page with the options incase you suddenly find your untimely demise after stumbling into a time travelling vortex and being eaten by a tyrannosaurus Rex (a surprisingly common outcome in pick a path books). There are also other options that you could take. You could read the book in the order of how the pages are presented, as one would normally read a book however the context and story would be nonsensical with this approach. Further familiarity with the book might provide a better understanding but then it would essentially be like rolling a dice to decide what page to read next with a regular book. There is an order in which things happen. A tension and resolution that takes place to provide a growth through experience. The more familiar the pathway becomes, the discomfort decreases and we find less resistance in the activity. We adjust to the foreign object in our eye.
This sounds wonderful but leads to another problem. The resistance factor is an important consideration that for any gain or progression forward there is a moment of tension to overcome. If there is no moment of tension, it is difficult to have a resolution. Essentially, no problem means there is no discomfort, and no discomfort means there is no room for gain. At this point we can find that there is room for enjoyment. The ability to pause and reflect on what we have gained. And it is worth keeping this point in mind. We have acquired a skill or understanding that becomes innate over time.
When faced with the simplified version of this "to do or not to do", it is usually the discomfort of the do that prevents our forwards action. There is an element of resistance that needs to be considered and weighed up for the corresponding gain. Wearing contact lenses is a gain in a range of situations where glasses become a hindrance to an activity, let's say swimming or sports such as football where glancing blows from the ball can destroy said glasses in an instant. So where else do we find the tension? Asking for help in the learning process is often one that requires a careful balance. It seems obvious that we should do it, particularly when others hold the knowledge or skills that would benefit us. Except, often there is an amount of hubris that needs to be laid by the wayside in the process. If our position is such that we don't feel we can show a vulnerability in our understanding, then we encounter the discomfort. Once again, "It is up to you if you want to wear contacts or not".
Other instances might be where essentials to the learning process require a commitment or investment of time and/or resources. An element of sacrifice or reprioritisation can provide this exact point of tension. For instance, giving up the comforts of slow Sunday morning to embrace an exercise regime is one that provides a suitable example for examination. Or perhaps the removal of a current interest to have a short term focus on the development of a project needs to be considered to ensure that there is the possibility of success in this.
At other times, we can find that the tension or resistance is present to guide us. The discomfort is actually informing us that the undertaking we are embarking on should be considered in the current circumstance. This fits well with the layer observation where we are extending the allocation of activities beyond the time that is available for this. If we ignore other components then our efforts are not being funnelled into appropriate areas. Essentially, we are using an incorrect prescription and even if we achieve the correct outcome, it will be compromised due to this misalignment.
The question then becomes, how do you best identify what is the discomfort that needs to be overcome and the tension that should cause you to stop and reflect? In reality, this is a combination of self and situational awareness. Having a tool that allows you to effectively determine what the tension is, how this applies in your situation and provides the appropriate insight proves important. Somewhere between determinability (will it work) and decideabilty (what will work). Learning works best when it is both applicable and aligned with you and your situation. Relevance and the ability to see the discomfort and understand the gains will enhance your ability to see this to fruition.
And in case you were concerned, the agony and pain of contact lenses is greatly exaggerated for the purpose of making a point (apart from when one of those suckers slips around the side of your eye and let's you know who is boss). "No gain without pain" is the saying that we are most familiar with however it need not be extreme. Simply find the discomfort, the tension, the resistance and embrace what it has to offer. It is there that you will find clarity.
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