Character or Easy Life?

An inspiring podcast that challenges listeners to embrace hardship and lean into growth for the sake of building character.

Overview: In this raw and direct episode, host Glenn Azar argues that the path of least resistance robs us of meaningful growth. He uses stories of athletes and corporate leaders to illustrate how we find our best selves during difficulty, not ease. Azar encourages listeners to identify areas of avoidance in their lives and intentionally choose hardship, even in small ways like an honest conversation. He argues that great character is built through our willingness to persist despite fear and failure.

0:37 - The comforts of modern life can prevent us from true growth
1:58 - People we admire have great character because they embraced hardship
3:37 - An athlete lacking mental toughness finally grew by leaning into struggle
5:12 - On a trek, people find strength when they persist despite wanting to quit
7:21 - Having hard conversations builds character. Avoidance keeps us stuck.
8:34 - Discomfort is the price we pay to become strong and dependable
10:12 - Identify where you're avoiding growth opportunities in your life
11:34 - CTA: Embrace hardship to build unshakable character

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:05):
Appoche production.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
Hey, team Danas are here walking back to the Building
Better Humans Project podcast. Today, I want to heat with
something a little bit raw, something direct, and something I
think that we all know deep down, even if we
don't always want to admit it, and that is that
you can't have an easy life and a great character.
I'm going to let that land for a second because
in a world that's constantly trying to sell us comfort, shortcuts,

(00:32):
instant results, and five step formulas for everything, it's a
powerful reminder that the things that truly matter, the things
that build depth in us, don't come easy. Now I
don't say that to shame anyone, just to be clear.
We all enjoy convenience, we all enjoy a break that's human.
What I'm talking about is something that's different. I'm talking

(00:52):
about what builds you. I'm talking about the difference between
a life that's temporarily comfortable and a life that's deeply meaningful.
I've said this before and I'll say it again. Comfort
is a liarhipers to you that you're okay, that you've
done enough, that things are good enough. But deep down,
most people know when they're coasting. And here's the danger

(01:14):
when you chase easy, you rob yourself of the gift
of growth. I want you to think of someone you respect,
someone with real strength of character. Now ask yourself, did
they get that way by avoiding difficulty or did they
become that way through difficulty. See every great character trait, resilience, courage, patience, humility, wisdom,

(01:40):
it all comes from facing something hard and not backing down.
I'll give you an example years ago is working with
an athlete who had all the natural talent in the world, fast, strong,
natural ability. But anytime things got hard, anytime they lost
a fight or training pushed them into the red zone,
they checked out. They told themselves they weren't built for it.

(02:02):
They told themselves it wasn't worth it. But the truth
was they were afraid of being exposed. And I get it.
I've been there too, I think we all have. But
avoiding hardship doesn't protect you, it robs you. When this
athlete finally leaned into the struggle, when they started to
embrace failure as a part of the process, that's when
the real growth kicked in. They stop flinching, they stop

(02:25):
backing off, and they started becoming someone they were proud of.
See that's what great character is. It's not a skill
you're born with. It's a muscle that gets stronger every
time you choose the hard thing over the easy one.
I've seen this on the Kakata track too. So many
times people come in with their own fears, some physical,
some emotional, some mental, and they hit walls, They break down,

(02:48):
they cry, and in that space where there's nowhere to
run from discomfort, they find something in themselves they didn't
even know was there. I'm telling you that's where your
real self is hiding, not in the easy days, but
in the moments when you choose to show up when
every every part of you wants to quit. Let me
give you a relatable one. Not everyone's on a trek

(03:11):
or in the boxing ring. So sometimes the hardest thing
is having an honest conversation, asking for help, omitting your
stuffed up or forgiving someone that hurt you. Those are hard,
and you can avoid them that If you do, you
tend to stay stuck. See, great character is built one
decision at a time. It's built when you say I'm scared,
no one do it anyway. It hurts, but I'm not

(03:32):
backing off. I failed, but I'm gonna have another go.
That's where it lives.

Speaker 1 (03:37):
Now.

Speaker 2 (03:37):
Here's the powerful reframe. Hard doesn't mean bad, hard means valuable.
Discomfort is not the enemy. It's the tuition you pay
to become someone strong, steady, and dependable. When I work
with young people, or corporate leaders or athletes, I always
remind them you will never regret the hard things you

(03:59):
chose to overcome, but you will regret the ones you avoided.
So ask yourself right now, where in your life are
you chasing ease when you should be choosing growth. Where
are you taking the soft option when the hard one
would change you for the better. It could be a conversation,
It could be committing to your health. It could be
fine in launching that idea that you've sat on for

(04:20):
two years. Pick one and lean in, not perfectly, but intentionally.
I'll be honest. I'm not interested in surface level motivation.
I want you to live with depth, to build a
character you respect, to become someone who's unshakable, not because
life is easy, but because you've earned your stripes the
real way. Remember this, you can't have an easy life

(04:43):
and a great character, But if you're willing to do
what's hard, you'll get both the growth and the life
that really matters. That's it, team, Thanks for tuning in
to The Building a Humans Project podcast. Again. If today's
message time, share it with someone and don't forget this.
Whatever challenge you're facing, you're capable of more than you think,
and you're never alone on that journey. We'll catch on

(05:06):
the next episode.

Speaker 1 (05:10):
Thanks for listening to this episode of The Building Better
Humans Podcast with your host Glenn Asa for feedback. To
stay up to date or go back and find an
old episode, head over to oneady dot net dot au.
Heare the Building Better Humors Project Pacares.

Speaker 2 (05:26):
Let's go