Several years ago I was talking to a friend who had started a pretty stringent month-long diet. When I asked him how he was sustaining it he said, “I’ve learned that I can endure just about anything for thirty days.” In my life I have found this to be generally true. For a specified amount of time I can avoid certain foods, change my habits, or live in a foreign country if I know that it is temporary. On the other hand, I get overwhelmed when it comes to making a decision that will result in some kind of permanent discomfort. When a difficulty is temporary, its power is largely broken.