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March 31, 2025 59 mins

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Brandon Mulnix returns to share his extraordinary journey through voluntary adversity – a concept that transformed his life after a devastating car accident left him with 12 facial fractures and his jaw wired shut. Rather than retreating into self-pity, Brandon chose to embrace this challenge head-on, even managing to complete a 50-mile ultramarathon while still unable to eat solid foods.

The conversation explores what happens when we purposely seek difficult challenges that benefit ourselves or others. Brandon's story exemplifies this approach, from his healing journey after the accident to his viral fame when his jaw-wired-shut ultramarathon made headlines worldwide and landed him in Runner's World magazine. Most powerfully, Brandon reveals how what seemed like the worst day of his life ultimately became "the best event of my life" – launching him toward deeper relationships, a healed marriage, and the adoption of his son from Ethiopia.

Brian and Brandon dive into practical wisdom about choosing hardship over comfort, battling the "resistance" that prevents growth, and the transformative power of helping others during your own struggles. They explore how starting small – even just refusing to hit the snooze button – can build the resilience muscle that transforms our response to life's inevitable challenges.

This conversation will leave you questioning your relationship with comfort and inspired to embrace voluntary adversity as a path to becoming your best self. As Brandon reminds us, "We don't grow by having happy things happen to us. We grow through our trials." What difficult but positive challenge might you voluntarily take on today?

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