Let’s be honest: most of us spend a huge chunk of our lives running from reality. We avoid the tough conversations, dodge uncomfortable situations, and close our eyes to the things we don’t want to admit—about ourselves, our relationships, our careers. But here’s the thing: no matter how fast you run, reality always catches up. And when it does, it often hits like a freight train.
Facing reality is hard. It’s uncomfortable. But if you want to experience real, lasting change in your life, the first step is learning to sit in it. Not gloss over it. Not deny it. Sit in it, absorb it, and let it show you the path forward.
Avoiding Reality Delays Growth
We’ve all done it. You know something’s off in your marriage, your job, or your health, but instead of confronting it head-on, you pretend it’s not that bad. Maybe you tell yourself it’ll get better with time or that the problem is temporary. Meanwhile, the cracks get bigger, and the discomfort grows.
Avoiding reality doesn’t fix anything. In fact, it prolongs the pain and keeps you stuck. Whether it’s a relationship on the rocks, mounting financial stress, or a deep sense of unhappiness, ignoring the issue only digs the hole deeper. Growth requires acknowledging the problem and sitting with the discomfort that comes with it.
What Does It Mean to “Sit in Reality”?
Sitting in reality means choosing to face the hard truths in your life instead of running from them. It’s looking at the facts as they are, not as you wish them to be. It’s uncomfortable because it forces you to admit that something isn’t working. But it’s also the first step toward change.
When you sit in reality, you stop making excuses. You stop pointing fingers or blaming circumstances. You accept the situation as it is, no matter how much it hurts, and you commit to dealing with it head-on. That’s where real transformation begins.
Facing Reality in Relationships
One of the toughest places to face reality is in your relationships—especially when things start to go south. You might notice the distance growing between you and your partner, or maybe you’re just going through the motions with a friend who no longer respects your boundaries. But instead of confronting the problem, you tell yourself it’s just a phase. You’ll work it out eventually, right?
Wrong.
Problems don’t just magically resolve themselves. If there’s a breakdown in communication or a loss of trust, avoiding the issue only deepens the divide. Sitting in reality means having those hard conversations, even when they make your stomach churn. It means laying out what’s not working and being willing to either fix it or walk away. Is it painful? Absolutely. But it’s also the only way to either rebuild your relationship or free yourself from one that’s no longer healthy.
How to Start Sitting in Reality
The first step to sitting in reality is brutally honest self-assessment. Ask yourself: Where am I avoiding the truth? What situations am I glossing over or rationalizing away? Then, write it down. Seeing your thoughts on paper makes it harder to run from them.
Once you’ve identified the areas where you’ve been avoiding reality, the next step is to sit with those truths. Don’t try to fix everything all at once. Just sit in the discomfort. Acknowledge it. Let it guide you toward the steps you need to take, whether that’s having a tough conversation, seeking help, or making a plan for change.
The Freedom on the Other Side of Reality
Here’s the thing about sitting in reality: it’s liberating. Once you stop running from the truth, you can finally move forward. You can start taking real steps toward the life you actually want instead of clinging to a version of life that’s not serving you.
Sitting in reality doesn’t mean accepting defeat. It means accepting what’s true so you can make informed, intentional decisions. Whether it’s your relationship, finances, or career, facing the hard truths is the only way to grow and ultimately create a better future for yourself.
It’s time to stop running. It’s time to sit down, face what’s real, and start moving forward.