Do you like to do hard things? Do you tend to challenge yourself… just because? On this episode, Katy and Tiffany talk about deliberately seeking out difficult situations, tasks, and habits, in order to promote personal growth, build inner (and outer) strength, and hone a sense of daring—and hopefully have fun too. Tiffany believes that doing hard things is a muscle that can be trained. If you force yourself to, say, take a cold shower every morning or go three full days without eating, when it come time to ask your boss for a raise, quit your day job, or (gasp!) move to a far-flung country, those challenges won’t feel quite so daunting, simply because you’ll be used to challenging yourself. Katy advocates for facing fears head-on. As someone who grew up terrified of death, she spent several months working in a mortuary at age 21, dressing, cleaning, and even shaving dead people. Did that help her conquer her fear? Did observing (and taping) a live hip-replacement surgery cure her of squeamishness? We discuss these ideas and more on the latest episode of The Bittersweet Life podcast. -------------------------------------------- SPONSOR THE SHOW: Reach expats, future expats, and travelers all over the world. Send us an email to get the conversation started.  DONATE: Click here to send financial support to The Bittersweet Life via PayPal. (You can also find a Donate button on the desktop version of our website.) The show needs your support to continue.  JOIN THE CONVERSATION: If you have a question or a topic you want us to address, send us an email at bittersweetlife@mail.com. You can also connect to us through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram – Better yet, tag #thebittersweetlife with your story for a chance to be featured! NEW TO THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1: OUTSET SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode. WRITE A REVIEW: Leave us a rating and a written review on iTunes so more listeners can find us. BOOK: Want to read Tiffany's book, Midnight in the Piazza? Learn more here or order on Amazon. TOUR ROME: If you're traveling to Rome, don't miss the chance to tour the city with Tiffany as your guide!