Divine discomfort is a beautiful description of what many of us feel as we journey through the process of transformation. It’s a phrase I first heard from one of my teachers many years ago and one I use often with myself and others as I journey through the lessons in life I am here to learn.
The term is a practical concept in theology with the idea being that we are led into various kinds of discomfort by God in order for us to experience or effect change.
I was gifted the opportunity to see this again very clearly last week.
One of my students, a high flying business coach was developing a large and lucrative proposal to work with a corporate client. The proposal was completed and the date set to meet with the blue chip organisation.
In spiritual terms the form of the proposal was completed and what he considered was left was trying to get a grip of the formless intelligence that would guide him through the ensuing conversations as he operated from mind allowing his intuition to guide him.
It was wonderful that he totally freaked about this prospect.
Freaking out, having doubts,not being able to see the wood for the trees, being scared are ALL opportunities to see something fresh and new about the very human experience you are having and not proof of being stupid, unable to do something or a failure.
It’s a wonderful feeling of divine discomfort, an awakening that allows you the opportunity to see something that previously had been hidden from you.
For many years our traditional schooling and academic institutions have conditioned us to be guided from our rational brains.People search for logic, strategy and analyse everything to death to make sure they have every eventuality covered. We are complex beings,mind, body and spirit and we have a habit of when the pressure is on only focusing on our rational abilities. Living and working in this way does not allow us to see our incredible capabilities and unfortunately suppresses our intuition.
My student had used his rational mind to complete the formal proposal for the organisation to ensure he was speaking their language and now it was time for his rational mind to get out of the way so he could relax into having an engaged conversation with the personnel who would be deciding whether he was successful or not. It was time to take a step back.
People buy from people they like and get a good feeling from.
So if you are stuck up in your head trying to be windswept and interesting the conversation becomes more about you than the needs, wants or desires of the person in front of you. Resting in a space of clarity and being fully present allows your mind to slow down and quieten which in turn gifts you the opportunity to intuitively pick up on all sorts of nuance, concerns and objections in a calm, caring manner. I spent 29 years in a corporate career resting in this space, selling and winning all sorts of awards and accolades. I know this works and until I came across the principles I wasn’t quite sure why.
Caring about others in a conversation rather than your bank balance,your ego,fear of failure or any of the other reasons your brain may care to come up with will stop you from fully engaging with another human being. Being fully present is the only way to have a successful business and a successful life.
My student was feeling an incredible feeling of divine discomfort. The reasons why could only ever be thought in the moment. The content isn’t important. The content takes us away from the fact that we are simply believing what we are thinking. This was a grounding issue and not a process issue. There was nothing to fix, nothing to sort simply something to point him to.
I shared a story with him.
I told him about the time I was 8 and a half months pregnant with my third child and was in job I absolutely loved. I was teaching Cardiovascular and Radiology Consultants how to use various cardio and endovascular equipment that was used to diagnose and treat diseases of the heart, kidneys and brain.
I absolutely adored being scrubbed up in the Cath Labs with them, by the patients side guiding the physician with new pieces of technology and was ecstatic for them when they had a successful outcome. I could feel their joy.
As a medically trained professional I could have got all up in my head about the importance of this job but I didn’t. I just relaxed into being me and sharing what I knew with whoever I was working with.
One evening I was working in a private hospital with one of my favourite Cardiology Consultants, a patient was on the table who required a cardiac stent inserted into their Left Anterior Descending artery because it was 80% closed with plaque, they call this occlusion the widow maker as it more often often than not leads to a fatal heart attack.
Anyway the procedure started and as I stood by the bed with the consultant, almost at full term in my pregnancy I started to contract. I thought this was amusing, as an ex midwife I knew what was going on in my body and I was not unduly concerned but the Consultant was. I think he thought he was going to have to deliver the baby and put the stent in this poor guys artery at the same time. It did make me laugh. I was calm and suggested we continue. Then 15 minutes later my water broke. I never said a thing.I knew everything was ok. My contractions became stronger and I relaxed into being present with the patient and the Consultant.
The procedure was a success and afterwards the consultant couldn’t help but laugh at what had been happening with me during our time together. My job was to be there to support him but I was also cognisant of my own wellbeing. I knew I had time before the baby would arrive and I knew I would know if I needed to leave in a hurry. I had surrendered to life.
In that cath lab I was physically feeling a divine discomfort , a discomfort with each contraction that would eventually deliver a baby. The discomfort of the contraction ebbed and flowed just as my thinking does when I am in conversation with others. I have experienced this many times speaking with heads of business, political leaders and family. The gift is in knowing that that is all that is happening.
I become acutely aware of my feeling state being uncomfortable and instead of analysing it to discover what the issue is I simply acknowledge I am feeling my thinking and get on with whatever it is I am meant to do.
We are guided 24/7. Mind never takes vacation or a sick day. It is there to support and nourish you. To guide you when you feel lost, to teach you what you need to know to become a better human being. Sometimes we get lost in the content of our thinking and believe what is happening between our ears which can lead to a feeling of discomfort.
Be grateful for feeling that feeling knowing that you are about to learn something new and fresh.
My student pitched his proposal to a board of 10 senior managers. He saw what he needed to see from my story.
What he saw was nothing to do with me but everything to do with him.
He found at the pitch his mind would fluctuate from composure to panic during the questioning but he knew exactly where his experience was coming from and he didn’t respond to his thinking in the moment. He remained calm and level headed and just heard on Friday that he now has a 12 month, six figure contract with a blue chip corporate client he had only previously dreamed of working with.
The benefits of living and working from mind are immense.
So get out of your head and into your heart … that is where the magic really happens.
If you want to know more about getting out of your head and into your heart whether it is in life or business please drop me an email at [email protected]. Look forward to hearing from you.[/fusion_text][fusion_text]
All my love,
Jacquie Forde RGN RM
