I’m feeling a little tough this morning. I’ve got stiches in my head, a hole in my left arm where Drcuttfirstaskquestionslater took some, another hole in my left leg where she took some more. I led a 30 minute 3P in the palace and then took to the road with thirteen cycling buddies. We rolled up Red Bank across Harlem and up Hogback before ending with the climb up Sherborne. Sixty one miles in 3 hours – not bad for a bunch of old guys and a couple youngins.
This morning, in essence, I kicked my own ASS. Nobody made me do it. I chose this pain on purpose. I’ve come to enjoy parts of the process I used to dread. I’ve come to understand a big part of having fun is doing hard things well.
This past week a number of clients got their butt’s kicked by me. They got kicked because they deserved it. Here’s the funniest part. They all thanked me – not right away, mind you. After they thought, wrote, and processed, then they did. And, then they ACTed on what they learned. My clients are tough. You see, they didn’t hire me to blow sunshine up their skirts. They hire BTL to make them do what they can. They hire us to make them even tougher than they already are. I love my clients. I love them enough to tell the truth even when it hurts. I love them enough to push them to the point just this side of panic. I love them enough to teach them how to kick their own.
I always remind them of a basic truth. You cannot take another further than you’ve gone yourself. The weak fight this. The strong simply smile and push through. Our tagline, at BTL, is together we improve. If you think that’s a mushy kinda soft tag, you haven’t practiced with BTL. You see, I’m feeling kinda tough today because my clients are making me do what I can. It’s fun getting tired together doing what you love with people you love.
What are you doing to kick your own ASS? Are you learning to embrace your real, hard, work, and find joy in doing hard things well? Life is hard. You aren’t going to lead a tough team unless you learn to kick your own. Study history, you’ll see…
BUILT TO LEAD 
You are tough. Going to share this one. Nice….And I agree…this is why we push ourselves.
Good writing.