I was speaking with a friend of mine recently and we were discussing the ups and downs of life. My friend suggested to me that he longed for a comfortable life. He wished for a life free from worry, difficulty and concern. I suppose in one way or another, we may all wish for a life of comfort from time to time. In doing so however, we may not be doing ourselves a service. If we wish to be fully alive and continue to grow as people, we need to live with discomfort because this is often where real learning and growth takes place.