Comfort Zone

I just finished piano practice. I knew I was learning something because I attained the odd feeling where my mind is fully occupied and struggling with the task at hand. It's not thinking of anything else, not worrying about bills, work, house stuff -- it's just focused on the immediate decoding of notes, adjusting for accidentals, and timing hand shifts. Time passes beforeI slip back into the normal state of things. My mind begins processing multiple things at once again, and yet I feel refreshed, in much the same way after a session in the gym, when the feeling of rest after work is delicious.

It's one of those odd moments you remember, that has a deeper impact on you then other events, and for me it was one of my guitar teachers said "You're only learning when you struggle", and I've come to believe that's true in all aspects of life. When too much time has passed with me in my comfort zone, I look back at that time and it seems somewhat wasted. If I look back at a period of struggle followed by triumph, whatever that small victory might be, it makes me feel not only happy, but a little more at peace with myself.