A bit of personal story behind Challenged Human. What happens when we go through life without challenge, why life is better when we have challenges and struggles, and how to go about them.
A story behind Challenged Human
Until a few months ago, I lived a very comfortable life. I was based in London, in a nice and swanky flat with a stunning view of the Thames. Well-paid 9-5 job in a respected financial institution. Easy access to all amenities of a modern city. Family members living nearby. Expansive restaurants and hobbies. Same-day Amazon deliveries. When having any problem, one phone call, and you find the right person to sort you out. Even the plandemic didn’t seem to be an issue - I used the opportunity, packed all my stuff on a motorbike and had the most travelled 2020 year of my life. High life.
But I did not feel very happy. In fact, I was quite unhappy and frustrated. I felt like I wasn’t growing enough. Nothing extraordinary was happening in my life. It was all too easy. I became less excited about everything: I socialised less, I trained less, and even if I had an opportunity, I wasn’t picking any new responsibilities in or outside of work. I started developing unhealthy habits. I grew lazy and complacent. A doomed path for a 40-year-old male. All that spiced up with a surreal situation in the West world: pandemic, financial uncertainty, war, LGBTQ frenzy and random crime. What to do?
Seeing life as a game
Life is a game. Once in a game, you got to play it. You must upgrade yourself, build your character and strength, gain knowledge, embark on and complete various missions, and gain the necessary experience. At any point, if you decide not to play, the game is playing itself anyway. The dice are being rolled. Life is throwing punches at you. And because you don’t do the work, the game gets extremely hard and unpleasant. You don’t have the necessary armour and necessary character upgrades. You’re losing the game. And it’s hard being a loser. Perhaps harder than doing all the work.
That was my conclusion. I was the guy who grew entitled, lazy and complacent. I stopped engaging in the game. And as a result, things got tough.
I decided to throw myself into the unknown. I closed all my affairs in the UK, and sold or gave away all my possessions. For lack of a better idea, I wanted to be a digital nomad. My first destination was the Philippines but I quickly ended up in Bali, Indonesia. I signed a multi-year contract for a run-down place that needed a serious renovation. I met a woman, a traveller and a meditation teacher. Thanks to her, my home became a place to meet many other travellers, teachers, martial artists and other unusual people with fascinating stories and pasts. I get exposure to knowledge, philosophies and training I didn’t even know existed. Living in a much less developed country, trying to renovate a house here comes with tons of challenges on its own: seemingly simple things aren’t simple at all. Patience is a virtue I don’t yet possess, and here I’m constantly tested on it. Also, I resigned from my comfortable 9-5 job and I’m trying to launch some business ventures here. It all seems like accelerated personal growth. It is a training. It’s challenging… and it feels good.
Challenge is fuel for life. An interesting, worth living life, at least. We human beings function best when we are tested and challenged because of a combination of psychological, physiological and evolutionary factors. Facing challenges forces us to adapt, problem-solve and learn new skills. Overcoming challenges gives us experience, knowledge, competence and confidence. It builds resilience, essential to navigate life’s ups and downs. Challenges build our adventurous spirit and satisfy our need for novelty and exploration. Challenges bring us, humans, together. Surprisingly, as a result of overcoming them, we feel more happy and fulfilled.
World today
Unfortunately, these days we are somewhat programmed to avoid challenges. We look for easy ways, quick fixes and fast food. We seek comfort and instant gratification. We argue about and focus on unimportant things because we don’t work on anything meaningful. We are growing passive, weak and depressed.
We can, and we must do better. We owe it to ourselves and to our ancestors. They sacrificed a lot for us to be here. Besides, there is really no other way. Living an uneventful and sad life is hard. It is rather unbearable. Challenge is the way.
Challenge is the way
ChallengedHuman.com is a small project for now, but the idea is big. I’d like it to offer items with ideas, challenges, and reminders. Of how to grow to be a better human. How to be more strong and resilient. How to become a more competent or more mindful and spiritual being. How to achieve more. How to thrive. I hope people will find it useful and will support the idea.
