Choosing Discomfort That Serves You: Life’s 50/50 Rule

by Stacey Bea

Today, I want to explore a concept that changed my life and the lives of many who’ve done deep mindset work.

It’s from master life coach Brooke Castillo, and it’s called Life’s 50/50 Rule.

This idea is simple but profound:
Life is always going to be 50% positive and 50% negative.
50% easy, 50% hard.
50% fun, 50% uncomfortable.

And — most importantly — that’s true for everyone.
No matter your background, your job, your health, your status, your history.

There is no life that is 100% good.
And there is no life that is 100% bad.

And here’s where the magic comes in:

You get to choose what your 50% negative looks like.

You don’t get to escape discomfort.
But you do get to choose the version of discomfort that leads somewhere good.

Today, we’re breaking this down inside the context of being a committed carnivore.

Because this concept — this single mindset — may be the biggest factor in whether you stay strong or slip backwards.

Let’s dive in.

WHY THE 50/50 RULE CHANGES EVERYTHING

Let’s start with the truth most of us wish weren’t true:

Change is uncomfortable. So is staying the same.

Health is uncomfortable. So is sickness.

Discipline is uncomfortable. So is regret.

Sticking to carnivore is uncomfortable. So is inflammation, brain fog, sugar addiction, and feeling out of control.

Brooke Castillo’s 50/50 Rule tells us that no matter what path you choose, you will experience discomfort.
The difference is the quality of the discomfort.

One kind of discomfort moves you forward. The other kind of discomfort keeps you stuck.

One discomfort is clean — it comes with growth. The other is dirty — it comes with consequences.

Let me give you a simple example.

Imagine you’re at a birthday party.
Everyone’s eating cake.
It smells amazing.
People are smiling.
Someone nudges the plate toward you.

You feel that twinge of discomfort —
the “I feel left out”
the “everyone else is eating it”
the “I don’t want to be weird”
the “I want just one bite.”

That’s one version of your 50% discomfort.

But if you eat the cake…
you’ve chosen a different discomfort:

The inflammation that shows up tomorrow.
The joint pain.
The bloating.
The fatigue.
The cravings that come roaring back.
The self-criticism.
The frustration.
The sense of losing ground.

That is discomfort too — it’s just delayed and more expensive.

You don’t get to eliminate discomfort.
You only get to choose which discomfort pays off.

THE FALSE BELIEF WE’RE SUPPOSED TO FEEL GOOD ALL THE TIME

One of Brooke Castillo’s points is that most human suffering actually comes from believing that we shouldn’t feel uncomfortable. We think something is wrong with us when we feel:

• bored

• sad

• anxious

• lonely

• triggered

• stressed

• tempted

• irritated

• restless

We think:
“If I feel this, something’s wrong with me. Something’s wrong with my diet. Something’s wrong with my life.”

But the truth is:
Nothing is wrong.
This is the human experience.

And accepting the 50/50 rule gives you enormous freedom.

Because when you expect life to be half hard…
you stop panicking when the hard shows up.

You stop thinking you’re broken.
You stop thinking carnivore isn’t working.
You stop thinking something went wrong because you’re having a tough day.

Instead, you say:
“Oh, right. This is the hard 50%.
This is normal.
And I know exactly how to handle it.”

Acceptance brings calm.
Calm makes commitment easier.

THE TWO 50% EXPERIENCES ON CARNIVORE

Let’s break down the two versions of the 50% negative that carnivore presents.

THE FIRST VERSION: Discomfort that comes from commitment.

This looks like:

• saying no when everyone else says yes

• handling cravings without numbing out

• feeling things instead of eating them

• prepping your food

• eating simply when you want novelty

• choosing long-term clarity over short-term comfort

• facing social pressure

• navigating restaurants

• breaking old habits

• trusting the process

• sitting through emotions you used to soothe with food

This discomfort is clean.
It’s honest.
It leads somewhere.
It builds strength.
It creates stability.
It compounds into healing.

THE SECOND VERSION: Discomfort that comes from quitting on yourself.

This looks like:

• inflammation

• pain

• bloating

• brain fog

• uncontrolled hunger

• sugar crashes

• feeling puffy

• feeling discouraged

• feeling like you “ruined” everything

• losing trust in yourself

• clothes that don’t fit

• spiraling

• the shame hangover

This discomfort is messy.
It doesn’t move you forward.
It often sets you back.
It erodes confidence.
It reinforces old identities.
And it keeps you stuck in the same cycles.

When you lay them out side by side, the question becomes:

Which discomfort do you want to choose?
The discomfort that heals you?
Or the discomfort that harms you?

A STORY OF TWO DISCOMFORTS

Let me share an anecdote that illustrates this perfectly.

Someone told me that before they shifted their mindset, every time they declined dessert, they felt deprived. They felt like the world was unfair. They felt like they were missing out on all the fun that everyone around them seemed to be having with food.

But after learning the 50/50 rule, they reframed it.

They said:
“Either way, I’m uncomfortable. The question is—do I want to be uncomfortable for five minutes right now, or do I want to be uncomfortable for the next two days feeling like garbage?”

That realization changed everything.

Because when you put the discomforts side by side, you see them clearly.

The discomfort of saying no is temporary.
The discomfort of eating something that harms you is lingering.

One discomfort ends quickly.
The other follows you home and moves in.

CHOOSING YOUR HARD: THE CARNIVORE EDITION

There is a phrase I love:

“Choose your hard.”

It's originally from a poem by Devon Brough and you've probably seen versions of this quote kicking around social media, but it's worth repeating and reminding yourself when life's hard strikes you:

Being overweight is hard.
Being disciplined is hard.

Choose your hard.

Having cravings is hard.
Healing from cravings is hard.

Choose your hard.

Feeling left out is hard.
Feeling sick is hard.

Choose your hard.

Saying no to pizza is hard.
Being stuck in inflammation for years is hard.

Choose your hard.

This is not about punishment.
It’s about empowerment.

Because when you realize that discomfort is coming either way, you become free to choose the discomfort with the highest payoff.

The discomfort that strengthens you.
The discomfort that aligns with your values.
The discomfort that serves your future self.

THE 50/50 RULE AND EMOTIONAL PROCESSING

One of the most powerful parts of the 50/50 rule is recognizing that emotional discomfort is normal — and survivable.

When cravings hit, when you feel sad, when you’re anxious, when dinner smells like garlic bread and you’re eating ribeye…
you might feel:

• disappointed

• annoyed

• restless

• triggered

• uncomfortable

• tempted

Before the 50/50 rule, that discomfort often leads to panic:
“What’s wrong? Why is this so hard? Why can’t I just be normal?”

But embracing the 50/50 rule allows you to stay steady:

“This is the negative 50%. Nothing has gone wrong. This feeling is temporary. I can sit with this.”

And here is a secret:

The only reason emotions feel overwhelming is because we’re resisting them.

Letting them be present — without trying to fix them with food — is how you build emotional strength.

Carnivore doesn’t just heal your body.
It teaches you how to sit with yourself.

AN EXERCISE: WRITE YOUR TWO 50% EXPERIENCES

Let’s make this practical.

Take a moment and mentally list your two 50% experiences or journal if you can do so.

What does the negative 50% look like when you stick to carnivore?

Maybe:

• feeling socially awkward for a minute

• extra time spent prepping meals

• mental energy towards resisting old habits

• attention to understanding your hunger cues

• sitting through a difficult emotion without numbing yourself with food

• explaining your choices to others who don't understand

• handling boredom without snacking

Now—what does the negative 50% look like when you don’t stick to carnivore?

Maybe:

• physical pain

• inflammation

• headaches and migraines

• weight gain

• uncontrolled hunger

• mood swings

• guilt

• losing trust in yourself

• restarting over and over

• feeling defeated

• mental fog

• digestive issues

Put them side by side. Compare the two. It becomes pretty obvious.

One discomfort is small and short-lived.
One discomfort is long and deeply unpleasant.

Once you clearly see your options, choosing becomes easier.

“BUT I WANT TO FEEL GOOD ALL THE TIME…”

We all do.

We all want to feel:

• energized

• confident

• peaceful

• proud

• happy

• motivated

• stable

• strong

And you can feel these things — maybe more often than you ever have before — on a carnivore lifestyle.

But expecting yourself to feel them all the time sets you up for failure.

When you expect perfection, you crumble the moment the negative 50% arrives.

When you expect discomfort as part of the journey, you stay steady.

A bad day doesn’t mean you’re doing carnivore wrong.
A craving doesn’t mean you’re weak.
An emotional wave doesn’t mean you’ve lost progress.
A moment of loneliness doesn’t mean you need to comfort yourself with food.

It means you’re human.
Welcome to the club.

And the more you normalize that, the easier this lifestyle becomes.

HOW TO APPLY THE 50/50 RULE TODAY

Let me walk you through a simple three-step self-coaching tool you can use immediately.

STEP 1: Name which discomfort you’re feeling.

Is it the discomfort of commitment?
Or the discomfort of consequences?

Just labeling it is powerful.

STEP 2: Ask: “Which discomfort serves my future self?”

Your future self always knows.
They always choose the clean, empowering discomfort.

STEP 3: Remind yourself: “I’m supposed to feel uncomfortable sometimes.”

This one sentence ends so much suffering.

It takes the drama out of the moment.
It brings you back into self-leadership.
It breaks the emotional spell.

From that grounded place, choosing gets easier.

YOU CAN DO HARD THINGS; YOU ALREADY HAVE

People underestimate how strong they already are.

Think about what you've done: childbirth, loss, illness, heartbreak, job stress, family drama, sleepless nights, financial challenges.

You’ve survived every single hard day you’ve ever had.

So when you’re staring down a piece of cake, or navigating a stressful day without turning to food, remember:

This is not your hardest moment.

You’ve done much harder things.

This is discomfort with a purpose.
Discomfort you can handle.
Discomfort that pays you back.

You’re not fragile.
You’re not broken.
You’re not weak.

You are capable of choosing the discomfort that builds you.

CONCLUSION — CHOOSE THE DISCOMFORT THAT SERVES YOU

So let’s bring this home.

Life is 50/50.
Always.
For everyone.

You don’t get to escape discomfort.
But you do get to choose which discomfort leads you forward.

When you choose the discomfort of commitment over the discomfort of consequences, you become a different person.

Clearer.
Stronger.
More grounded.
More trusted by your future self.

Carnivore isn’t easy.
It’s not supposed to be.
It’s human life, just without the numbing.

But it is worth it.

Because the discomfort of saying no today is temporary —
and the comfort, healing, and stability you gain over time is profound.

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