If you are frequent follower here, you’ve heard me rant and rave about the self control and uncommon discipline of the Navy SEALs and how much I love studying what makes them tick. Here’s a question worth pondering. Why so few? Why do only a few young studs make it through “Hell Week’s” test of continual running, swimming, crawling, and shivering that they must endure on less than five hour’s sleep?
Obviously all these folks are super strong, superb athletes, and super motivated to be the best of the best. They all have a clear, big dream of becoming a Navy SEAL, and they have all been pre-selected as the best of their previous bunch. Why do only a few (less than 25%) survive Hell?
According to Eric Greitens, a SEAL officer, quoted in my current read titled, Willpower, by Roy Baumeister & John Tierney, it’s not the biggest, fastest, and strongest that survive. He says, in recalling his fellow survivors: “They had the ability to step outside of their own pain , put aside their own fear, and ask: How can I help the guy next to me? They had more than the ‘fist’ of courage and physical strength. They also had a heart large enough to think about others.”
Want to stick to your disciplines, whatever they may be? Find a friend, one, two, you only need a few, and help them do more than they think they can. Get outside your own pain, fear, and self-centeredness and help another that is next to you. Amazingly your reservoirs of resilence will be built too. Who are you helping beside you? Who are you making do more than they think they can?
Why are so many so hell bent on not? Why?
Because only a few have moved from their natural, self centered state. Only a few are moving from being self centered and other controlling toward CORE centered, and self controlling. That is why. Which direction are Y.O.U. leaning?
Tell me more, my friend. Tell me more…
BUILT TO LEAD 