Things that hurt teach

So Kimberly and I are currently taking a couples counseling class together, and this is one class that I absolutely love. Every class I am always rushing to write down as much information as I can, our professor always shares these great quotes and this one quote has been on my mind. In Latin the quote is "quai nocent docent" which translates to "things that hurt teach." For some strange reason I cannot stop thinking about this quote it just makes so much sense to me.

We only change when we hurt, when you are comfortable there is no need for change. This is true for so many areas of our lives whether you are looking at your love life, your career, or even healthy living. If there is no pain there is no reason to look to change the situation, it isn't until you become fed up that you explore other options.

For example, once you do something that doesn't have a positive return or a good feeling chances are you won't do it again. A common situation is touching a hot stove, you may give in to curiosity and touch it but once you get burnt you know in your mind that it wasn't a pleasant experience and you will think twice before doing it again.

I have just wondered why this simple phrase is so hard to master. So many people settle in their relationships and their career for years before they leave and try something different. Being comfortable can be toxic, I have learned and I am still learning not to settle for second best. To me I think that it is great to have goals and expectations as long as they are within reason and realistic. If you constantly accept whatever is given to you, trust me you will not make it far.
I really have no idea why this was so important but since it was on my mind I just had to share it.