“Don’t wish it was easier, wish you were better. Don’t wish for less problems, wish for more skills. Don’t wish for less challenge, wish for more wisdom.” –Jim Rohn

When Ann and I got together, she’d been a runner, and I’d been a mountain climber.

She said, “Honey, if I’m going to do this mountain climbing shit, you’re going to become a distance runner.”

I ran my first marathon with Ann at age 53; and together we’ve run six ultra-marathons since.

Ann has stood on four of the Seven Summits with me; and we’ve climbed big mountains together all around the world.

I got it in my head one day that it would be cool to combine the running thing and climbing thing. So I suggested that we begin to run trails.

Ann was resistant. “I don’t want to fall,” she said.

“Honey,” I replied, “You will fall; and you will bleed.”

Which annoyed her. A lot.

Since that time, we’ve run through the Andes, across the Grand Canyon, and up and down trails wherever we happen to be.

And… we have fallen and bled. A lot.

Because it comes with the territory.

Here’s the truth: Whenever you’re doing a new thing, whenever you push beyond your comfort zone, it’s hard.

Running, climbing, building a business, navigating a complicated deal, writing a book, building new relationships…

It’s hard work.

You will fall and you will bleed. Actually. Metaphorically. Sometimes both.

No one likes hard.

No one wants to fall and bleed.

But if you want a big life, it comes with the territory.