Smooth paths make for weak legs. Every time you lean into something difficult, you are making an invisible deposit into your own character, resilience, and capacity. The hard thing looks different for everyone. For one person, it’s speaking up in a crowded room or setting a boundary with a family member. For another, it’s lacing up running shoes at 6:00 AM, writing the first line of a book, or sitting with an uncomfortable truth in therapy. The specific nature of the friction