What kind of a question is that? It seems like being cold is just that, being cold

It’s a question for Wim Hof.

Wim Hof wakes up to swim in frozen lakes, sleep in snow, and climb Mount Everest in nothing but his underwear.

Gifted? Maybe. But then so must be nearly all of his students, as they too learn to adapt to such harsh environments.

For Wim Hof, being cold means something different than what it means for us. It means the point of applying an acute stress on his body and going through it with this mind, until his body adapts. Because it can adapt.

For us though, being cold is just a signal to put on a jacket or turn on the heater.

It’s rare we bring ourselves to points of acute stress (though we easily live lives of constant stress, which is much worse). The closest most people could be getting to this consistently is through the gym.

There are limits. But the point isn’t really the acute stress or being cold. The point is we’re capable of a lot more than what we believe we can do. But the slightest hint of discomfort can often sail us the other way.

Imagine centuries ago having to sleep with no heater. We got through it. But we’ve grow to accustomed to how we do things now.

The next time it happens, observe closely. See if you can get through it. Sometimes, it might even be up to you to find that acute stress, whether it may take its form physically or mentally.

But it will always be up to you whether you will adapt to it, or keep playing the psychological story that you can’t you’re too uncomfortable to adapt to it.