Without pain, sacrifice and some suffering, we will never experience true growth and transformation—to go from where we are to where we want to be.
Growth equals pain. It’s that simple.
Only when we push and move outside of our comfort zone and boundaries can we truly adapt and step into our new self-capability.
Consider a simple example from the fitness world. How many times have you had a workout where you push yourself so hard that you literally max out on energy and strength.
Later that day, and the next day in particular, you feel sore, and your muscles hurt because you literally tore cells, stretched and temporarily damaged your muscles.
When muscles undergo intense exercise, there is trauma to the muscle fibers that is actual muscle injury. This disruption to muscle cells activates satellite cells, which are located on the outside of the muscle fibers.
The reason why our muscles grow and our strength grows with commitment and consistency in fitness and weight-training is that, after the stretched or torn cells heal, there are bigger and better cells.
The same concept and process holds true in other areas of life. Think about how much pain comes when trying to take on a new skill and develop that skill. You might be trying to become a better public speaker or learn a new language.
In the beginning, it’s hard as you stumble with self-doubt and make mistakes. But then with commitment and consistency, that initial pain turns into growth as you start to build out this new area.
To advance from where we are, we have to have a tolerance for some pain and suffering to get there.
Pain can be temporary and fleeting, but deliver extraordinary growth—if we can remain focused on the why behind the effort.
Nothing great ever came without hard work, pain and some adversity. Always remember that when staring down a difficult road to get to where you want to be.
You see, we have to remember that we control the strings that operate ourself and our character in life. We get to decide how we want to move our character and ourself.
If we are unhappy or do not like a quality or a habit in life, we have the ability and freedom to work to change that. If we see that something is detrimental to our growth and our vision, we can work over and through some pain to grow from it, learn and elevate beyond it.
So remember that when things get tough, when we do experience pain and are stretched in an area of our lives, it’s not the time to back down, turn and run in the other direction, or find the path of least resistance where the pain will stop immediately.
No. Instead, we need to persevere even if the pain increases in the short run, because when we have a clear destination and know what it takes to get there, only an iron will and the resolve to work through whatever obstacle we encounter will allow us to be successful.
That’s what growth is all about—constantly learning, working, improving and being willing to put yourself out there and experience short-term discomfort, unease and pain as you pursue growth, enlightenment and elevation.
Let’s GO!
Power Quote
“Opportunities are usually disguised as hard work, so most people don’t recognize them.” —Ann Landers
Key Insight
Nothing great ever came without hard work, pain and some adversity. Always remember that when staring down a difficult road to get to where you want to be.
Tactical Tip
What is something that took a lot of hard work to start, but is now easy for you? Imagine if you never did the work. Now, what goals are you stalling on because you’re afraid of the hard work? Think about the benefits of your hard work.
Day Check
How did it feel when you finished a hard project or accomplished something that took a lot of effort? What did you accomplish that took determination?