During team practice, way back in 2011, I asked my client to describe his 3P workout and why he is committed to pushing, pulling, and planking his ass off 3 days a week. He looked sideways my way before telling his team of 15 about the why behind his 3P’s. They mostly listened. Mostly. Once he finished speaking, I asked him to head over to the pull up bar and try and knock out 40 pulls. I asked the team to come out of their seats and count ’em as he pulled ’em up. They shouted them out, one by one. Number 24 hurt him bad. He stopped at the bottom and I urged him on. He knocked out another. Once you’ve stopped and are simply hanging by a thread, it’s almost impossible to do another pull up unless your someone as crazy as young Durp. He knocked out yet another. And, then one more.
27 pulls. He was fried. He dropped from the bar and the team cheered in response. They had just seen their leader put actions to his words. They were seared. I pulled them back together and asked them why we had just gone through what we had just gone through. They threw out some thoughts and I kept telling them to keep going. I challenged them to think about where we had been going during this practice and why his example brought it all home. Finally, someone got it. They saw the 7-38-55 example being brought to life in front of them.
7.38.55
Seven percent of your message is found in your words. Thirty eight in your voice and fifty five percent in your body language. Nothing makes your message more believable than your movement modeling the way. Someday soon, your team will forget your words, leader. Some of Durps team, and maybe most of them, will remember the number 27 forever. Durp modeled his why. His body and his body of work made him believable. Why are you wasting your time trying to find the right words when nobody remembers ‘em anyway? Why not just sear them with your tone, your body language, and your example? We learn some from principles and precept. We mostly learn from a person, from someone willing to model the way. Thanks, Durp, for giving us 27 to remember.
Durp is one worth following. Are you?
BUILT TO LEAD 
I was there, and the other takeaway about 7 38 55 you so aptly illustrate here is it’s not only what we believe in the moment which drives home the learning, but what we remember just like yesterday. I can’t remember whatever sermon I heard 10 days ago but I remember Durp’s 27 from almost 10 years ago like it was yesterday!