The greatest journey is the journey within...the journey of personal growth. I'm on the hunt for who I've not yet become. I'm a work in progress. My life, mind and body are always under construction because there's always room for improvement. There is no challenge more challenging than the challenge to improve yourself. We must work daily on self realization and self improvement. We are essentially who we create ourselves to be. May we consistently strive to put our best "self" forward and to become the best possible versions of ourselves. Live up to the best that is in you.

"To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly." Henri L. Bergson

The gym is the perfect metaphor for life because this is where we impose challenges upon ourselves. What happens when life becomes uncomfortable? What do you do? Do you push through or do you retreat, cut and run? Don't run. Don't erase...embrace. Embrace challenge, embrace difficulty, embrace life, embrace the opportunities to learn and grow. 

We ought to change our perspective on life's challenges and difficulties. Instead of viewing challenges as being done TO you, view them as being done FOR you in order to bring about new growth and transformation. 

"The resistance that you fight physically in the gym and the resistance that you fight in life can only build a strong character." (Arnold Schwarzenegger)

In the gym and in life, all pressure, all resistance, and all challenges are opportunities to grow stronger and more resilient. We cannot hope, wish or dream ourselves into being strong, we must hammer and forge ourselves into being strong. Challenges, struggles, and pain are often what empower us to grow into our highest selves. Persist always, endure always, emerge positive and keep looking forward with hope knowing that the load that you bear today makes you stronger tomorrow. We are all stronger than we know and the potential for greatness lives within all of us. Challenge and hard work yield greatness.