The key to pursuing excellence is to embrace an organic, long-term learning process, and not to live in a shell of static, safe mediocrity. Usually, growth comes at the expense of previous comfort or safety.
I think we are at our best when we work with our natural eruptions, use them as fuel for the fire.
My first teachers were street players, guys who would hustle you, get in your head, break you down mentally before they did it over the board.