“The deepening (spiritual healing, freedom, awakening, liberation, self-discovery) happens through the challenges of life. If you could remove the challenges of life, it’s virtually impossible to remove the challenges of life; but if you could remove for a period of time the challenges of life, by living in a totally protected environment, the lack of challenges would become your greatest obstacle to spiritual awakening.
So, the very thing that you thought was the greatest thing that could happen to you, would become the greatest hindrance. The lack of challenge would after a while turn into your biggest challenge. It would be huge. So humans develop(ed) growth through being faced with challenges.”
~Ekhart Tolle; Essential Teachings: (Manifesting our Wants and Needs. (Podcast)
The Undoing of Me 