I'm guilty of saying this pretty often in my personal life, during counseling sessions and while instructing fitness classes. I express it so much because it is such a strong statement about change and growth. Take for instance what happens when you are exercising. In order to get the results you want, whether it's being faster, stronger or leaner, you have to push yourself to that point of becoming really uncomfortable within your body. You have to let those muscles shake. You have to almost want to quit but not- that's progress. Otherwise if you never push yourself past that limit, you won't necessarily find the change you are looking for.
The same rings true for counseling and personal development. When you're in counseling, chances are you are going to talk about difficult and challenging topics. It would be a waste of time and money to simply discuss what is easy to. Instead, you talk about what makes you sad, angry, frustrated, stressed, etc in order to gain awareness and insight into your self. You keep pushing your limits until you begin to grow mentally and emotionally stronger.
The point, the threshold in which you leave your comfort zone can lead to wonderful things. You can:
Develop mental toughness
Reduce fear of failure
Keep things interesting
Learn about yourself
Strengthen motivation and will power
Eliminate ego
Increase self-esteem and confidence
In what ways can you challenge yourself?
Is there anything you want to learn or overcome?
What has been standing in your way?
The answer to the last question is usually yourself, Challenging yourself can be scary at first. The fear of failure is a very real thing that gets in the way many times. But honestly, what's the worst that can happen? So you don't succeed the first time- you always can try again. Every “failure”is an opportunity to learn and grow.
So next time you feel uncomfortable, instead of avoiding or shying away from it, embrace it. Take the opportunity to expand yourself and your limits.