[TAIA]: The Language of Discomfort 🇧🇷

Happy Monday Mindset!

In August 2010, I packed two bags, boarded a plane to Brazil, and landed in the unknown—language, culture, everything.

It was a dream… but also a test.

I wanted the growth that only discomfort could give.

That very day, I met Tatiana—my now wife—through a mutual friend. She spoke perfect English. 

I didn’t speak a word of Portuguese.

And while her mom, Cristina, isn’t a professional teacher, she became mine. Like a second mom, she patiently guided me through the basics and built the foundation of my fluency.

I lived in Brazil for two years. And with Cristina’s support and daily immersion, I learned the foundation of the language. 

Then life evolved…

Tatiana and I moved back to the U.S., built a life, and spent the next 15 years speaking English—because it was easier. 

Because it worked.

But here’s the rub…

I’ve always dreamed of delivering my keynote derived from my book Turn Adversity Into Advantage in fluent Portuguese to a Brazilian company.

That dream has a cost.

And the price?

Stepping back into the discomfort.

This summer, after a growth conference and a conversation with my Italian buddy Julian, I realized it was time to lean back in.

So in July, Tatiana and I flipped the script. After 15 years, we made Portuguese our new home language.

It’s awkward. Clunky. Humbling.

But I’m reminded:

Growth never lives in comfort.

It lives on the other side of resistance—whether in marriage, language, or leadership.

So, if there’s something in your life you’ve avoided because it’s uncomfortable?

That’s probably the very thing you need to pursue.

Remember: Adversity is your advantage.

Even when it sounds like a foreign language.

Make it a GREAT week!

Bryce Henson
CEO, Fit Body