#davesdailychallenge (78): Reject Comfort. I am a very fortunate man. I have, on a consistent basis, many people, especially those in their late teens, twenties, and thirties, ask me for advice. I take it very seriously and consider it an honor to even be asked. Of all the things I’ve discussed there is only one piece of advice that is common to every single person.

Experience part of the world that scares you. 

Let me explain. When I use the word “scares” I mean anything from mild discomfort to abject terror. You have to get out of the world you’ve created for yourself that is generally filled with comforts. Travel to third world countries and see how billions of human beings live in destitution and poverty. Deliberately place yourself in situations where you will be required to think about someone other than yourself. Witness the fact that many in the modern world have forgotten that parts of the world are still filled with darkness, mysticism, cruelty, and tyranny. Once you see them, you will be prepared to be the light.

The big question is what will this do for you? It will lay the foundation for every other success you experience in your life, that is what it will do. You will develop empathy towards the experiences and suffering of others. You will gain an authentic appreciation for how lucky you are to have been born where and when you were. Through your experiences and hardship, you will begin to develop a lifelong resiliency that will serve as your armor through every difficult situation life is guaranteed to deliver to your doorstep. One of the most fundamentally true aspects of human nature is that we inherently value something in direct correlation to the amount of effort or resources spent to obtain it. When you invest so much of yourself into your community, your world, and your own betterment you will nurture a tremendous sense of ownership in the success of these things. 

My experience post college was unique and will most likely not be able to be recreated by the vast majority of people even if they wanted to simply due to global political issues. I joined the Marines and fought in a war. Like so many young Americans in those years, I joined BECAUSE of the war not in spite of it. I experienced joy and love and sorrow and fear and passion and purpose the likes of which I can only hope you will have the opportunity to feel one day. On more occasions than I care to recall, I came face to face with my own mortality. There is a freedom that you gain after such experiences that provides you a clarity of heart and thought. You can then bring that clarity to the rest of your life and your relationships. Through these experiences I gained a love of life and my fellow man. I gained a deep respect for the power of a dedicated team of people that truly care about one another. I developed a resiliency against hardship that serves me very well to this day. My story is not unique in any way compared to the men and women that served with me. I played a very small part in a very large effort.

I know of similar stories from those who chose other paths. Perhaps they took a year off and volunteered their time helping people around the world. Maybe they practiced medicine in areas of need. The examples are endless but the takeaway is singular. Reject comfort and seek experiences in the world that scare you. The pursuit of a greater self and the discovery of your unique ethos is something that has been written into human culture since we first began to come together in packs. 

There is no singular right way to go about this but it is, and always will be, the one common piece of advice I give to every single young person who asks. Good luck my friends.