One of my favorite thinkers/entrepreneurs, Derek Sivers, says you have to do things that make you uncomfortable. Of course, he’s not the first or only person to say that, but the way he put it resonated with me most.
Before I went to Japan for the first time, I was super excited about visiting an onsen (Japanese hot spring). In true Type A, borderline control freak fashion, I had a list of things I wanted to do while I was there. (I’m proud to share that I did ALL of them.) One of them was to visit an onsen. I had no idea what to expect, but I wanted the experience.
Well, that was until I actually got there. Standing in front of the onsen, I froze internally.I suddenly got butterflies in my stomach and wanted to bail on my onsen plans.
I decided to walk in and look around and make a decision. There was an attendant offering instructions for how to proceed, and I was just standing there with this odd look on my face. I wanted to go in, but I suddenly felt super uncomfortable.
Would people be naked in there? Did I have to get naked? What would their yellow perspectives think about my brown body? Would the water be unbearably hot? How long would I stay? How do you say “Where’s the exit?” in Japanese?
I sighed. On one hand, I had some serious butterflies and my mind was going a mile a minute. On the other hand, it occurred to me that if I didn’t go through with this, I’d regret for a long time, and I’d probably become obsessed to the point of having to return to Japan in less than a year to make up for it.
I went in. I walked through the maze and handed off my shoes in exchange for a beautifully designed gorgeous yukata (robe) and the key to a locker.
I was really doing this.
I went to the changing area and quickly changed. From my days of playing sports in middle school, I’ve learned how to change without exposing flesh. I knew it’d come in handy again someday.
After I got my super artsy robe on, I decided to relax and poke around. What I discovered was nothing short of amazing. It was like a spa, resort, and carnival all in one. I played a few games at the carnival-like place then wandered to a resting room where people were relaxing and napping in a room of massage chairs.
From there, I went outside to actually enjoy the hot spring. They were heavenly. And the people were as cordial and wonderful as they had been during every other part of the trip. Since I was trying new things, I decided to hop into the pool of doctor fish which houses fish that eat dead skin off of your feet. Sounds gross but it was actually a lot of fun and very relaxing.
When my time was up, I hopped out and headed to a quiet area to meditate. I prayed a prayer of gratitude and took a minute to acknowledge myself for stretching beyond the brain chatter and doing something new. After all, it’s one thing to try a new restaurant in your town – it’s another to try a new experience with new people in a different country. I was very, very pleased with myself.
I realized that many of my most amazing experiences were birthed from situations that resembled the onsen – excitement followed by nerves followed by commitment followed by an unbelievable experience. And the process repeats itself – something amazing within reach, an oscillating reach for the amazing thing, nausea almost to the point of vomiting, push through and then incredible outcome.
The lesson: Do the thing you fear. You have no choice. Your truth, fun, growth, and success lie just outside of your comfort zone.
T is for Tokyo
In the words of my would-have-been lover, Ralph Waldo Emerson…
“Do the thing and you shall have the power.”
