When I look back at the periods of my life where I experienced the most mental/emotional growth, all of them occurred shortly after I left a comfortable situation, stripped off social crutches, and threw myself into an environment where I had to figure things out all by myself.

I don't even want to think about where I'd be today if I would've chosen the easy paths at these crossroads.

Men NEED to go through the fire and flames to reach their highest potential. It's embedded deeply into our DNA to be hardened and sharpened by the trials and tribulations of a challenging life.

Don't shy away from these opportunities to conquer hardships, and grow from experience.

Embrace every one of them with open arms and an absorbent mind.