Why Comfortably Uncomfortable?

Comfortably Uncomfortable was born out of a lifelong desire to write and publish a book. Up until a year ago, I struggled focusing on a topic and wasn’t confident others would want to hear what I had to say. My husband’s continual encouragement paired with the time and mental energy to write a book that came with an empty nest led to me finally making the commitment.

Why the topic of comfort zones?

Many times in my adult life, I was told to “get outside of my comfort zone” and “be more outgoing.” I really wrestled with this and even tried it many times, but it just didn’t work. It was quite exhausting to even try. In that struggle, I realized there is no one-size-fits-all approach to growth. Everyone grows differently.

Even though I didn’t become more outgoing, I did grow. Comfort played an integral role in that growth. Discomfort did, too. Not through the extremes of either of those but through something much more nuanced.

I realized I didn’t have to change my personality. I didn’t have to give up all my comfort zones. I did, however, need to embrace stability in a way that allowed me to get uncomfortable. This thought process led me to my topic.

What’s my “one thing”?

Whenever I write or teach, I ask myself, “What one thing do I want my audience to remember if they remember nothing else?” For my first book, Comfortably Uncomfortable, that one thing was that small steps add up over time to make a big difference.

This small-steps approach is something I’ve talked about many times over the years. It also fits well with my nuanced approach to growth. Plus, I realized that what appeared as extreme leaps in my life were really small steps that built upon one another until they were a visible whole.

Why the perspective?

When my youngest son was a teenager, he told me about a rap singer he liked and shared his songs with me. In our ensuing discussion, I asked him if the artist was a Christian rapper. My son told me the rapper was “a Christian who wrote songs and rapped.” This conversation planted a seed in my about how I might approach writing.

Just before writing Comfortably Uncomfortable, a missionary to creatives spoke at my church. (She’s also the producer of Created to Create.) One of her points was about being Christians who are creatives, not necessarily producing overtly Christian creative work, though that is good, too. This brought back to mind the seed my son planted and resulted in my perspective for Comfortably Uncomfortable.

I wanted my Biblical faith to be obvious in the book, but I also wanted my message to reach beyond a Christian audience. I wanted to express Biblical truths without it being a Bible study or commentary. In fact, I felt led to approach the book this way.

Even as I took this perspective, I knew I would talk to others about the book’s Christian foundation. These conversations happened with individuals but also in group settings (e.g., Bible study, book discussion).

What’s next?

With the topic and perspective for Comfortably Comfortable in mind, my main goal for writing the book was primarily to write a book. I knew I needed to do it quickly, too, so I could complete that win. In other words, I needed to write a book because I needed to know I could write a book.

Now that I know I can, I’m focusing on depth. I want to improve my process and product. In that effort, I am looking for beta readers willing to review book #2 and provide input. If that’s you, please use this CONTACT FORM to discuss the process. That will initiate an email discussion on what being a beta reader might look like as well as to discuss timing.

In general, book #2 is about being teachable and creating strategies that curate, cultivate, and direct self-talk. I’m excited about sharing this next phase of my writing journey with you!