Many of us prefer the easy road. We possess a natural inclination to stick with the status quo, to resist the unknown, to stay comfortable. It’s tied to our ancestral drive to survive. We’re afraid of trying something new. We want to avoid change, so we don’t push ourselves to the next level. In today’s disruptive and accelerating world, it helps to change your relationship to change and become comfortable being uncomfortable.

We think life is only about creating safety and security and pursuing contentment. These things are important and part of daily life, but life is filled with pleasure and pain, satisfaction and suffering, delight and difficulty. By focusing only on the comfort side of the picture, we cut ourselves off from the full range of human experience—and the knowledge, skills, and empathy that come with the other side.

If you’re uncomfortable with discomfort, you probably run away from uncertainty and change. In today’s world, you can’t run away from change! Everything is in a constant state of flux. Our skin changes, the grass changes, people change-change is everywhere on a moment to moment basis.

When you hide from the tough issues, you may play safe and refuse to take risks. You may steer clear of difficult conversations at home and at work. Afraid of conflict, you may fail to challenge yourself or others, to greater performance and a better life.

To live fully, you must be willing to step into the unknown, now more than ever. Our digital and global world requires it. You must be willing to challenge yourself to grow and change. And change feels uncomfortable for most of us. Your fear and anxiety and discomfort are natural, human reactions to life.