There are few things done directly these days.

In the age of convenience and technology there is nearly always a middle man or a device involved in the transactions we conduct, bringing distance between you the viewer and the experience you don’t feel like experiencing.

I am proud to say that I believe that this gathering of individuals does not revel in this, the state of things, and choose instead to live directly when we can, live fully, and take our experiences in and enjoy the good with the bad.

How do I know this? Because all of our readers here strive to connect with their surroundings and not be inhibited, starting from the ground up. Taking the struggles and barbs in and living through them make you stronger with the knowledge that you can now overcome something you once dared never to tread near.

I was inspired by singer Jason Mraz’s blog post “Lean into the Discomfort” that takes its title from a common mantra used in yoga to lean further into the pain and come out stronger from it in the end instead of half-assing the experience treating it like a burden. I definitely feel that FiveFingers gave me this opportunity with running but also many experiences in general.

A steaming platter of dread was a common appetizer for my runs as I would soon be experiencing tightness between my shoulder blades, stitches in my sides, wheezing when attempting to breath, and ten minutes of breathlessness after I had completed my torture session. And if I was lucky enough to keep up with running my almost 2 miles every other day maybe I could start to see muscle and notice the smallest bit of body fat receding only to come back the day I missed a run.

I now have no problems keeping tone in my muscles even running as infrequently as I do because I go about it directly and get the full results immediately after my run is done and I enjoy every minute and want more.

Lean into the Discomfort

Now Embrace It.

Embracing the fear of difficulty and knowing you will come out stronger can lead you to new places and experiences, besides, what is the worst that can happen? After all, failure is only the let down of expectations.

FiveFingers have freed up an entire way of thinking about running, about feet and overall body health, and about returning to the olde way of doing things. The old way of leaning into the discomfort of life and embracing the cram that discomfort brings, such as calluses from barefoot running to become stronger. Extra easy and ultra convenient being a way of life does not make things easier, it just makes them easier right now, and consequently much harder later.

So lean into the discomfort, and embrace the fact that you are investing in your health and well being by strapping on these funny looking shoes.

Do you feel like 5Fingers have centered other parts of your life? Or improved anything you didn’t expect? Let me know in a quick comment, thanks!