I sat sipping tea gingerly daydreaming in a comfy coffee house in Kathmandu. Outside the window everyday life of Nepali people passed by. A man carrying 2 office chairs on his back, a bicycle outfitted with hand woven baskets as saddle bags, each basket bursting with chickens, as the rider dodges traffic, loud horns every 5 seconds, a beggar on crippled legs sits in the dirt.
"Can I get my coffee" the voice urgent and whiny draws me to the table next to me. An American woman is fuming. "I just cant wait any longer, it has been 10 minutes, please bring me my coffee now" Her voice is irritating and her lack of patience grating. She seemed way out of her comfort zone as if someone were stabbing her in the leg.
I glance back to the window. Outside the man with crippled legs sits in the dirt. He travels by crawling on his knees. The calluses on his knees thick like a elephants feet. He is smiling and asking passers by for money. He crawls on. Cars, exhaust, mud, trampling feet, and crippled legs, yet he smiles.
I look back to the woman. I have been where she is at, complaining, whining. I also have been where the man crawls by going through a bone marrow transplant and pushing my uncomfortable zone to wider margins in the high mountains.
When I start to complain or whine about my car not starting, the guy cutting me off in traffic, the rude woman at the phone company, I realize I am just spoiled and have too much comfort. I forget to use the perspective given me by going through pain and suffering in the high mountains and through transplant.
Expand your uncomfortable zone. Get uncomfortable for 5 minutes and realize that our comfort zone does not need to expand to the point where we are just locked in our homes all cozy, fat, and lazy. Our comfort zones do not need to permeate every aspect of our lives to the point that we dont feel life. Being uncomfortable is a good and necessary part of life. It allows us to be compassionate and appreciate what we have. Being able to widen your "uncomfortable" zone allows ease of happiness. Things that seem huge obstacles become simple as you widen your zone
Think about how you can get some discomfort in your life to keep in perspective what is truly out of your comfort zone. If not getting your coffee within 10 minutes of ordering upsets you, try walking on your knees to the nearest Starbucks.
Matt, we do expect a level of comfort most of the world can only dream of. We need to care a little less about ourselves and try to see things from the perspective of others. It does little good to get all up tight over something we have no control over. The coffee server is on a different schedule then the rude customer. There was no mallice intended. One should relax and go with the flow.
ReplyDeleteYes Rich,
ReplyDeleteThis article is questioning exactly your first sentence "We Expect a level of comfort most the world can only dream of". The key word here "expect". I believe we cannot "expect " when in someone else country because then the word expect turns into the word "entitled". I often expect things when I am traveling outside of my country and miss what is expected of me in the country I am in. Yes definitely go with the flow and understand our surroundings and where we are at, Nepal or downtown San Francisco. Just things to think about when we travel. The second aspect and the main point of the article is: Are we to comfortable? Just a question I am pressing on myself after seeing the man crawling in the dirt with no legs and a gigantic smile. Thank you for your comment. Matt