Leaning into the discomfort

If you’re like me, you’re feeling it—a lot of people are: DISCOMFORT.

It’s almost like the dust from the last five years is finally settling, and we’re just now trying to find our footing again. People are losing jobs. Money’s tight. Interest rates aren’t budging. Busy-ness is the name of the game. And it feels like a lot of us have stopped dreaming about what could be… and are forced to focus on what is.

I’m no stranger to the discomfort myself. Business is slow, inventory is rising, demand is falling—we’re playing a whole new game in the real estate market.

But I believe there’s a silver lining. Even if it takes some serious mental fortitude to find it.

The achiever in me has spent all of my adult life forcing discomfort: working ‘til I couldn’t see straight, neglecting my health and well-being, grinding for the sake of the grind. Always striving for more, never quite getting there.

And while “forced” discomfort looks different to me now than it did then, it’s more on purpose—cold plunges, exercise, eating clean, not drinking, turning off my phone at night to be with my family, saying no to what doesn’t serve me—the sentiment is the same:

Discomfort breeds growth.

But living in it? Doesn’t feel like growth.

It feels like stress. Fear. Resistance.

We just want the hard stuff to be over.

I don’t have all the answers. I never will. But my own journey has definitely prepared me for this season of discomfort better than any I’ve lived through before.

Somehow, in spite of the proverbial shit hitting the fan, I’ve found a lot of peace in this season. Don’t get me wrong—it’s a daily battle. But focusing on presence has made all the difference.

When the discomfort feels overwhelming, I try to remind myself: this is part of the story. And one day, I’ll look back on this not as a “blip on the radar,” but as a formative chapter that made me a better human.

This mindset has helped me not only stay grounded personally, but also show up more intentionally for the people I work with.

Just a few weeks ago, I met with some first-time buyers. They’ve been saving for years—patient, intentional, ready. But like everyone else, they’re feeling the discomfort, too.

Rates are high. Prices are high. The world feels unpredictable. And it’s easy to get stuck in that feeling. Easy to wait. Easy to freeze.

But we talked about what life might look like five years from now. Starting a family. Growing roots. Will they wish they had taken the leap now—or wish they had waited?

Only they can answer that of course.

​​But we talked about their vision. The kind of life they want to build. The kind of story they want to look back on five years from now. That’s when it clicked: this isn’t just about buying a home—it’s about moving forward even when the path isn’t perfectly lit.

If homeownership is part of their future story, some discomfort is inevitable.

Because at the end of the day, regardless of what’s making us uncomfortable—action is required.

Sitting around waiting for the discomfort to pass only magnifies it. It pulls our focus away from what we can control.

And this? This is just a season. Every season ends.

Right now, we get to choose:

Do we focus on what’s hard—or on what we can actually do about it?

So whether it’s the risk you know you need to take in your home or business… finally prioritizing your health… or having the hard conversation that’s overdue—ask your future self what the right move is.

Then trust that voice.

Because discomfort may not be fun—but it’s often the beginning of something big.

Cheers to growth, even when it’s forced upon us.