As I approached my 40th birthday, a friend shared a video about an event called KOKORO, a civilian simulation of the Navy SEAL’s Hell Week. Without hesitation, I said, “We should do it.” About a month before the event, I collapsed during a weighted hike. Despite the excruciating pain and because I was still awaiting the results of an MRI, I was determined to participate—and finish. It was a non-stop mix of ice baths, push-ups, air squats, lunges, no sleep, and being constantly pushed to the brink for what seemed like days on end—physically, emotionally, spiritually. People started dropping out left and right. The rest of us kept on freezing, soaking wet and utterly exhausted. This was the pattern for 53 straight hours. We were disoriented. I was one of only seven that completed the event. I learned the true meaning of resilience and mental toughness. It was so much more than a physical challenge—it was seeing your soul. Strengths I never knew I possessed had been revealed to me. But this realization didn’t happen until a month later, arriving as an epiphany as I sat sobbing in my car.