“Uncomfortable”

May 2nd, 2022

“In America, you have the right to seek the truth and speak the truth, even if it makes people in power uncomfortable. Even if it makes your viewers or readers uncomfortable. You understand how amazing that is?” – Trevor Noah, 2022 White House Correspondents’ Dinner

“Uncomfortable.”

It’s a word I’ve been thinking a lot about lately.

What makes you uncomfortable? Why?

Many people don’t ask themselves because the answer might make them… uncomfortable.

Because of what I am, I’ve had to learn to embrace radical honesty. That means that I often speak my mind and allow my guts and heart to spill out.

A side effect of this is that it makes some people uncomfortable.

And I believe that if people explored why, it might tell them exactly what they need to learn about themselves.

More precisely: what is it that they’re trying to avoid or escape?

Is it conflict? Emotion? Certain ideas? Specific situations or people? Their lifestyle? Their impending and not uncertain end?

If I never got past being uncomfortable, talking about uncomfortable things and making uncomfortable changes, then I would never have become the person I am today.

If I hadn’t embraced radical honesty, then I would be dead.

If that’s not radically honest AND uncomfortable, I don’t know what is.

The next time you feel uncomfortable, ask yourself why. I know I do.

And the next time someone tries to silence you because the truth you’re speaking is making them uncomfortable, allow them to feel sorry for themselves for a moment, and then say the truth, anyway.