True Calling Project | Finding Purpose And Meaning In Life And Career

Today, we’re exploring The Suffer Lab with Lt. Col. Phil Forbes. “You’re going to suffer to grow. Things aren’t always comfortable.” In episode 2, I talked to Phil about leadership. Phil has been affiliated with Special Operations for the majority of his career and has supported numerous contingencies worldwide. He has commanded at the detachment, squadron, and group level in garrison and in combat and has been awarded the Bronze Star on two occasions. He presently works in the Pentagon for a three-star General as an Executive Officer. We’re used to thinking that stress and suffering are bad, but they’re instructive. Experiencing stressful situations, physically or mentally, teaches you about how your body responds to stress. You have a choice about how you respond to suffering. If you make a conscious decision to frame the experience in a way that serves you, then you will develop better skills for adapting to greater suffering, in the future. The Suffer Lab is self-imposed suffering, with defined limits. In