With all the focus on success it’s easy to overlook the valuable lessons we can learn from the more difficult parts of our journey. Below, you’ll find some very interesting insights from some of the most fascinating members of the community.
Satia Herrera
Breaking every bone in your body hurts less than breaking your soul. When in a place of struggle, I remain there as long as it takes to truly learn the lesson. This is not in an attempt to become a martyr, but with the intention of self-reflection and self-actualization. Read more>>
Darsey Nicklassen
Suffering taught me the profound power of vulnerability—something success had actually trained me to avoid. When all of my early projects were thriving, I thought strength meant having all the answers and protecting others from disappointment. Success reinforced the belief that I could—and should—handle everything myself. Read more>>
Joe Mazza
This is a great question, and one that I’ve had a changing relationship with, especially over the past few years. We often grow up believing that suffering is an adversary to be avoided at all costs, something to be numbed or escaped through various means, healthy or not. Read more>>
Michael Jaycox
When you do something for a long time without success or validation, it becomes easy to question why you’re doing it at all — whether it’s all just been a big waste of time. Read more>>
Tara Manack
Missing out—on a job, a promotion, an apartment, or simply not getting my way—has taught me more than any success ever could. In hindsight, many of those disappointments were turning points. I’ve learned to go with the flow and trust that when something doesn’t work out, it’s often making room for something better. Read more>>
GrimmWubs
Suffering taught me how to feel everything, fully and unapologetically. It stripped me down to my core, showed me who I was without the noise, the lights, the validation. It taught me how to create from emptiness, how to turn silence into sound, and pain into power. Suffering made me ‘hungry’ ,not just for success, but for purpose. Read more>>
Natalia (Talia) da Silva
Like most artists, I am mentally ill (jokes). But the hardest days really have taught me how to see the good. And most of the time, it’s something small, like a laugh with my friends at work or the excitement of meeting someone you really like. But when it’s good, it’s GOOD. Read more>>
Jennifer Meyer
Suffering has taught me that I am the only person responsible for my happiness. It has taught me that I may not be able to change a situation, but I can always change my response to a situation. Read more>>
Steven Kohnke
Anyone who’s truly successful—who built it themselves and wasn’t handed anything—has suffered and failed more than most people will ever know. The difference? They didn’t let it break them. They learned, adapted, and kept trying until they figured it out. Suffering teaches you what success never can. Success feels good, but it’s deceptive. It makes you think you’re invincible. Suffering strips all that away. Read more>>
Dr. Caroline Iscovitz
Suffering taught me the value of letting go and trusting myself in ways success never could. Early in my career as a marriage and family therapist, I poured everything into helping others navigate their struggles, but I didn’t see my own burnout creeping in. It was a dark time, I felt drained, questioning my purpose and whether I could keep going. Read more>>
