Title: Escaping from Ourselves: The Urgency of Facing Discomfort

Every day, we encounter various discomforts in our lives, both big and small. It's natural to avoid looking
them in the eye and instead seek ways to escape. However, what we often fail to realize is that every
discomfort we avoid becomes an internal street we constantly run away from. Over time, these escapes
accumulate, leaving us with fewer internal spaces where we feel truly at ease. In this blog post, we'll
explore the consequences of avoiding discomfort and the urgent need to face it head-on.

Escaping to External Distractions

In our quest to avoid discomfort, we often turn to external escapes. These can manifest in different
ways: binge-watching TV series and programs for hours, indulging in excessive consumption of alcohol,
sugar, and carbs, mindlessly scrolling through online shopping sites, impulsively making purchases we
don't really need. These behaviors represent our desperate attempts to tolerate the passing of time
while feeling internally uncomfortable. But do these escapes truly provide long-term solace?

The Importance of Understanding Our Needs

The primary objective of addressing the discomfort we run away from is to reduce our internal unease.
We must take the time to understand and meet these needs instead of constantly hiding from
ourselves. When was the last time you felt truly at ease with your emotions? Can you recall the
sensation of feeling comfortable in your own skin? Oscar Wilde once said, "I am tired of myself tonight. I
would like to be someone else." This sentiment resonates with our longing for an escape. But instead of
seeking to become someone else, we must strive to accept and understand who we truly are.

Initiating the Process of Self-Exploration

It is necessary and urgent to examine what we are running away from. By delving into these
uncomfortable areas, we can discover healthier ways of dealing with them. This process doesn't involve
seeking a quick fix or attempting to reprogram ourselves. Rather, it's about finding new ways of existing
that do not involve constant evasion of our true selves.

Breaking Free from Self-Denial

To escape discomfort, we sometimes convince ourselves that we are "feeling wrong" or that our internal
experiences do not align with what we believe to be appropriate for the moment. This self-denial only
perpetuates the cycle of escape. How often do you dismiss your emotions and consider them
incompatible with your current circumstances? Are you actively working through your concerns, or are
you simply avoiding them?

Our escape mechanisms often manifest in excessive behaviors and distractions, such as binge-
watching TV shows, indulging in unhealthy habits, or compulsive online shopping. These
external escapes provide temporary relief from our internal unease, but they do not address
the underlying issues.
Learning to Embrace Our Truths

We must examine where our thoughts wander when we struggle to stay present in the
moment. What crutches do we rely on to escape our own fears and insecurities?
Acknowledging and accepting our emotions, even when they seem incongruent with the
circumstances, is crucial. How often do we dismiss or invalidate our feelings, believing they
don't align with the present moment?
Elaborating on the issues that trouble us and engaging in honest introspection allow us to
experience our thoughts and emotions fully. By observing and acknowledging what transpires
within us, we can then navigate and redirect the content of our internal experiences. It is a
process of existing in authenticity, without building walls, suppressing, or pretending.
By developing these skills, we gain the tools to navigate our own labyrinths whenever needed.
Difficult days and challenging times will always be present, but our response to them can
change. We can learn to navigate them in ways that are gentler and less costly to our well-
being.
The key lies in learning to feel and think without fleeing from our experiences. By observing and
acknowledging what goes on within us, we can gradually guide the direction of our thoughts and
emotions. This process requires honesty, vulnerability, and self-acceptance. We must build a foundation
of existence based on truth rather than suppression, avoidance, or pretense.

The Rewards of Self-Exploration

By dedicating time and effort to explore our discomforts, we gain valuable insights and pathways to
navigate our own mazes. Difficult days and challenging times will always exist, but by confronting our
fears and discomforts, we can develop healthier coping mechanisms that don't inflict further harm upon
ourselves. We don't need a miracle to solve all our problems; what we truly need is to embrace our
experiences, even the uncomfortable ones, and live life authentically.

It's time to stop escaping from us and start facing our discomforts head-on. By acknowledging our
internal struggles and embarking on the journey of self-exploration, we can create a life that is more
fulfilling and authentic. Escaping from discomfort may provide temporary relief, but true growth and
contentment come from embracing who we truly are. The urgency of facing discomfort and escaping
from ourselves is a profound call to embrace our inner struggles and confront the discomfort that
resides within. By avoiding or suppressing these discomforts, we inadvertently create internal streets
from which we continually try to flee. Over time, this pattern accumulates, leaving us with fewer internal
spaces where we truly feel at ease.

To embark on the journey of self-discovery, we must understand and attend to the needs we are
avoiding. This process is not about seeking a cure or quick fixes, but rather about finding alternative
ways to exist without constantly running away from who we are.

Now, it's your turn to reflect. How do you relate to your thoughts and emotions? Have you also
noticed a tendency to think in extreme terms? I invite you to share your experiences, insights,
and thoughts in the comments section below. Your feedback matters.