The Discomfort of Happiness

We often sacrifice long-term contentment for short-term comforts

Achieving artistic excellence or professional distinction takes work and discomfort. VGstockstudio/shutterstock

I recently finished the first draft of a new book I’m writing. Almost every moment spent writing this book, like the previous ones I’ve written, has been tedious and arduous. It wasn’t enjoyable. But completing the draft made me happy.

The same goes for every race I’ve run. Every challenging project I’ve completed. Every difficult conversation I’ve had. I didn’t really enjoy doing any of these things. But I’m happy for having done them.