The toughness gap: where success lives
When I was a sophomore in high school, I got invited to play on the varsity football team.
Usually only juniors and seniors played varsity.
Sophomores stayed on JV with their friends.
And everyone told me not to do it:
“Zack, you won’t play.”
“Those guys are huge—you’ll get wrecked."
“Just stick with JV.”
"You're gonna get hurt."
I knew instantly what my answer would be:
YES.
From a young age, my parents had instilled in me something powerful.
A mindset that would serve me throughout life.
Whether it was vacuuming an entire building as a 5-year-old (a story for another time) or helping my dad with manual labor, they constantly reinforced one message:
You can do ANYTHING you want to do if you just work for it.
I understood something fundamental that most people miss:
Hard things are GOOD.
Hard things help you grow FASTER.
As a sophomore... the first game?
Benched.
Second game?
Benched.
Third game?
Got ONE carry as running back...and broke loose for a 40-yard run.
The very next week?
STARTING running back.
By season's end, I was playing both offense AND defense after a senior got injured.
While my friends were getting their first taste of varsity football the following year..
I was already operating at a completely different speed.
The confidence snowballed.
And by senior year?
MVP of the team.
$1,000 scholarship from the Central Coast Section of California.
One of just a few players recognized across the entire region.
All because of one decision:
I chose the harder path.
Most People Have This Backwards
They have what I call a "limiting mindset."
They avoid discomfort at all costs.
But here's the truth...
Our modern world is comfortable.
Too comfortable.
We avoid discomfort at all costs.
But growth doesn’t come from easy.
Growth happens ONLY when you're uncomfortable.
Think about it - when was the last time you intentionally made something in your life harder?
How I Build Mental Toughness Daily
Here's what works for me:
Physical training. Push your body, train your mind. Same thing.
Positive input. Books, podcasts, mentors like Zig Ziglar, Dan Martell, Ben Hardy. Feed your brain the good stuff.
Stress on purpose. Cold showers. Fasting. Extra reps. Seek adversity before it seeks you.
Journaling. Write down wins, track progress, reflect daily. Confidence compounds.
Mahatma Gandhi said it perfectly:
"Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will."
And from Jon Kabat-Zinn:
"You cannot control the waves, but you can learn to surf."
We can't control what challenges come our way, but we can develop the mindset and confidence to handle them when they arrive.
-Your Turn-
Take a moment right now to examine your life:
Where are you mentally weak?
How can you start developing mental toughness?
What hard things can you intentionally introduce to stretch yourself?
Remember, you're either strengthening your mindset or it's getting weaker.
There's no middle ground.
Most people neglect this work entirely, focusing instead on tactics, strategies, and quick fixes.
But without the mental foundation, none of those things stick.
What's one hard thing you'll commit to this week?
Reply and let me know.
Here's to embracing the hard path,
and loving it,
-Zack
