I have been saying something similar for decades, namely, when we are met with a decision: option A) take the hard path, option B) take the easy path, in my personal experience, the hard path has always proven to be more rewarding.

The founder of the Society of Jesus, Ignatius of Loyola had a practice of examining these potential outcomes. He would frequently meditate on the decisions he would have to to make. He discovered that when he meditated on one choice, it would immediately fill him with joy and pleasure, but ultimately led to sadness and emptiness; but when he meditated on another choice, often one he was not very interested in pursuing due to some difficulty, despite the difficulty, he often experienced lasting joy and peace. When meditating on these possible decisions, he would always end up choosing the one that was more difficult.

This is an example of the spiritual life, which takes place in the mind. So, you're right, in some sense the mind is a battle groun...