The other day I was in the midst of a particular reading session, where I had the pleasure of reading the book “can’t hurt me” by David Goggins, dubbed by many as the toughest man on the planet. What struck me was the fact the David Goggins was constantly living his life on the edge so to speak. He was constantly seeking a novel challenge, that is more brutal than the previous one in his quest for improving mental resilience. For example, he joined the navy seals, famous for their tough training, decided that that was not enough and thus delved into the world of ultra marathons, running 100 miles under 24 hours, before becoming a wildland fire fighter. This man is an certified, professional beast of a man, and we could all do to learn something from him. The interesting thing about this supreme specimen of being, was that he did not have to do those things at all. He could have chose not to become a navy seal, he could have chosen not to become an ultra marathon runner yet he nevertheless did. I would be inclined to believe that the average person on the street would shy away from such occupations given the fact that it is hard, it is painful, it is unpleasant. And who could blame them? I think that humans naturally shy away from discomfort, we dread stepping out of the comforting and soothing walls of normality, we dread braving the wilderness, we dread venturing into the dark because it sucks. Who in their right mind would uneccessarily expose themselves to such circumstances of guaranteed suffering? Surely such individuals are not right in the head.
The thing is though, individuals like David Goggins aren’t the average joe you can find on the street, they are probably one in a million because they voluntarily go out to get punched in the face so to speak. Why? Because it is such situations that mould you for the better, that make you stronger. Stronger not in a physical sense, but that of your mental strength. When you have the choice to escape from suffering, yet you press on fervently, you make yourself more resilient of a person. When you are forging a piece of metal, say a sword, a master forger would hammer the sword repeatedly, to strengthen it, such that it is much harder, such that it is able to pierce through the armor of the enemy. One could compare themselves to a sword. We are what we experience. If we were to go out there and get “hammered” repeatedly, it would make sense that we would become mentally stronger, equipped with the necessary grit and willpower to take on the world in all its difficulty and complexity. Lets imagine if a person never experienced any suffering ever, living in the tight embrace of the hedonistic lifestyle of junk food, video games and drugs. If you were to imagine him as a sword, what would it look like? It would probably be as weak as glass, that shatter immediately when a small dose of pressure is placed upon it. I don’t think anyone would want to live their lives like that. One axiomatic truth that all of humanity would surely unanimously agree upon, would be that life is a tragedy. You mother is going to die. Your father is going to die. Your friends are going to die. And of course you are going to die, and not only that you are getting repeatedly put down throughout the entire process by life’s forces. Hardship is inevitable, it is part of the human condition, so we would do well to prepare for it. I would imagine that no one would want to be so weak, such that they would curl up into a ball and start bawling their eyes out at the slightest problem that they encounter. That is hardly a productive nor practical way to navigate our lives, for all we know this could make the situation even worse than it is, and that is hell. There is this notion that hell is a bottomless pit, because no matter how bad it gets, there is always something we fools could do to further degrade the situation. A tree uprooted root and stem at the slightest blow of the wind will have its life and emotions dictated by outside forces. This is subpar, because you will have little agency in your life.
Getting punched in the face by life is not pleasant, certainly when we least expect it. I would instead be more inclined towards taking on challenges voluntarily in a controlled and manageable manner, in order to train and practice, such that I will possess the tenacity the face on my problems. Think of it like a vaccine, which gives you a much weaker form of a virus, sort of a practice for your immune system such that in the scenario that you contract the actual illness, you would be able to repel it with ease. This is also the case for seeking out challenges. You could opt for this route of action, or to face actual challenges in real life, albeit it will be more unforgiving and relentless. Some people never seem to rebound from such occurrences. And so if I had to choose I would always select the former.
In a nutshell, dwell not on the discomfort and unpleasantness of the problem at hand, remind yourself that you are such a fortunate person, where you are blessed with the opportunity to grow and mature. Reframe the narrative in your mind. Don’t ever think that challenges in your life is a bad thing. As the saying goes, “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade”.