Outlast

In a past life (well at high school) we had a bit of a competition going. It went something like this. 

Two contestants leant up against a wall, feet on the ground, legs at 90 degrees, back resting straight against the wall. You would then straighten your arms out in front of you and 3 bibles were placed on your arms.

The winner was the person who could hold the position for the longest.

Thing was, it hurt from the start. The pain in your arms and legs just gradually increased as the seconds went by. So the strategy was simply to outlast your opponent, to take the pain for that little bit longer. 

Distractions were all around in the form of teenage boys- laughing at you, making fun of you, trying to get you distracted from the task at hand. There was no trophy, just the knowing that you could do it, that you outlasted.

When you did, the laughing stopped, the bibles were removed, the pain subsided, and was replaced with a feeling of achievement. Sounds bizarre now, but as a 13 year old, this was big, important stuff.

Sometimes it feels like the weight of things is trying to bring you down, the distractions seem too much, so does the pain. Sometimes you look over at the competition and they seem comfortable, able to withstand more than you.

It’s important to focus on the end game. What you really want. What you need to do to get there.

It’s important to outlast.