Episode 24: Finding Strength in What You Can Control

In this episode, Randy Highsmith, Jordan Lopez, and Kris Anderson reflect on Marcus Aurelius’ teaching that true strength comes from mastering the mind. They discuss self-awareness, emotional regulation, and the importance of holding personal principles in a world full of noise and external pressure. Through the lens of jiu-jitsu and lived experience, they explore how confidence grows from knowing oneself, responding rather than reacting, and remaining steady—like a mountain—while still open to growth.

🎙️ Sweeter After Difficulty is a podcast about the beauty that can only emerge through struggle. Hosted by Randy Highsmith, this series features intimate conversations with people who have endured pain, faced fear, and discovered peace—not despite their challenges, but through them. Each episode dives deep into personal stories of resilience, revealing how difficulty becomes a refining fire that clarifies purpose, deepens empathy, and brings unexpected sweetness on the other side.
Why listen? Because life is hard, and you're not alone in that. These stories won't give you cheap hope—they'll give you real ones. They’ll meet you in the raw, help you make sense of the struggle, and maybe even help you reframe what “hard” has to mean.
Whether you’re in the thick of it or looking back on a season that shaped you, Sweeter After Difficulty offers reflection, community, and a deep well of human wisdom.
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