Feel like we're talking about slightly different things here. Bravery has nothing to do with what I'm talking about. What I'm talking about what you, as a human being, gain from going through a challenge. A challenge that you need to actively work at overcoming. Your example of your dad doesn't qualify here. That's just dealing with pain, not actively developing a new skill over time.

Let's say I, as a non-runner, decide I want to run a marathon in 6 months. Everything that happens between now and then - setting a goal, learning how to train, putting in the work every single day, fighting through the foot pain, skipping out on that ice cream, etc. - will serve me well beyond the singular race.

That's what I'm talking about. My original post was referencing silly marketing language that improving yourself shouldn't feel like work. Imagine someone stated that "training for a marathon shouldn't feel like work." Yes, it motherfucking should. Otherwise you're just skipping out on the stuff that will make you a better/stronger person in favor of some outcome that doesn't truly matter in the long term.