Because of my challenges, I’m recognizing the value of feedback. Many times I put myself in an uncomfortable position, and I wonder, what did people think?
I’ve also realized that people tend to complain more than they give appreciation.
So for this challenge I decided to give appreciation to a brave friend.
Being Uncomfortable Helps Others
Yesterday, a friend of mine expressed some serious thoughts and intense emotions in a conversation with another friend. While I didn’t say much, my two friends talked about an incident that had been bothering me too. Hearing them talk helped me process my thoughts.
I wondered if the vulnerable friend was uncomfortable with me there. The vulnerable friend mainly directed the conversation to my other friend, who gave back solace. It seemed like it would have been more comfortable for them if I wasn’t there.
But I appreciated that I got to hear what they both had to say. The incidence in discussion bothered me too. Yet I didn’t have the courage or clarity to express myself to anyone.
Sometimes when you’re brave and put yourself in an uncomfortable position, someone else benefits. But often you never find out that you helped someone. I didn’t want my friend’s courage to go unrecognized. So the next day I messaged my friend how their openness helped me.
The Discomfort Of Expressing Yourself
It was hard for me to send the message because I wondered, will I make it worse? What if the message makes them more uncomfortable? What if I seem like a freak?
But if my intention is good, then it doesn’t matter. If I make a mistake it’s ok. I can only try to learn from my mistakes. I shouldn’t hold back on life trying to avoid failure.
I’m very new to expressing appreciation. So it’s inevitable that I will fail sometimes. But I should still try. The more I iterate the better I’ll become.
I don’t truely know if my friend experienced discomfort by being vulnerable in front of me. I didn’t ask.
But I’d like to think that if they were uncomfortable, my expressed appreciation (which was uncomfortable for me) encouraged them.
Maybe now they’ll be more inclined to take the uncomfortable path in the future, thereby helping more people. In this way, a “good life” is a cycle of discomforts passed around as we help each other.
To discomfort!