When Achievement Outweighs Pain

~The Bell...each day you face the decision, "Do I reach for it and give up, or do I reach within and keep going?"~

The question isn't how much more you can take.  But how much more you can give.  Just when you're ready to quit, your mind says push harder.  You listen.  Sensing an inner strength that wasn't there before.  And suddenly you discover...you no longer feel pain.

~U.S. Navy SEALs~ 

For those few who are fortunate enough to enter into the physical hell of Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUDS) training, there comes a moment when they are faced with "That damn bell."  See, this training isn't for everyone.  There will be cold, very little sleep and the constant yelling and orders of the instructors.  Pushed to their very physical limits, most see the bell as a way out.  Others view it as an admission to failure.  For it all depends on how we handle the difficult situations which will be thrown at us.  Is our first inclanation to find a way out?  If so that bell could save you from further torture.  However, if you, like a very few select others before you, decide to somehow overcome that obstacle towering in front of you, then you increase your chances of becoming one of the elite.  Failure is no longer an option.  Excuses seem to evaporate into determination.  You greet each new day as a opportunity to overcome the mountains which stand in your way.  There is good reason why BUDS training is not only intense, but physically demanding.  For those who endure comes the honor of being selected as one of our nations elite warriors.  The enemies you will be facing are not movie villains who will somehow surrender just because you look tough.  From Vietnam to Afghanistan, our SEALs have a long and proud history of service and sacrafice.  They've tasted victory as well as defeat in service of their country.  Time and again, when current and former SEALs gather together, they recall that week in hell,and how they would rather bleed and die than ring "That damn bell."

"Men, all this stuff you hear about America not wanting to fight, wanting to stay out of the war, is a lot of bullshit.  Americans love to fight.  All real Americans love the sting and clash of battle.  When you were kids, you all admired the champion marble shooter, the fastest runner the big league ball players and the toughest boxers.  Americans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser.  Americans play to win all the time.  That's why Ameicans have never lost and never will lose a war.  The very thought of losing is hateful to Americans.  Battle is the most significant competition in which a man can indulge.  It brings out all that is best and it removes all that is base.  You are not all going to die.  Only two percent of you here today would  be killed in a major battle.  Every man is scared in his first action.  If he says he's not, he's a goddamn liar.  But the real hero is the man who fights even though he is scared.  Some men will get over their fright in a minute under fire, some take an hour, and for some it takes days.  But the real man never lets his fear of death overpower his honor, his sense of duty to his country, and his inate manhood. 

~George S. Patton Jr.~

31 May, 1944 

Is it only those who have taken the oath to serve their nation who exhibit the toughness needed to succeed?  No, for we see this is others as well.  In my own quest to be more healthy and fit, I've often noticed more than a few of these characteristics.  My daily schedule usually includes eight hours of work, followed by an hour or two of exercise after my work day is done.  I don't consider myself special or unique for adhering to this schedule, I just know what needs to be done.  In order for me to reach my goal, I put myself on that hiking trail at the end of a long day.  Have I ever had days where I felt like I just couldn't do anymore?  YES!  Have I ever felt as if I've "Rung that damn bell?"  No, for to do so would admit defeat, and I'm not ready to go down that road!  Others have asked me why I do what I do, as if it was something special.  To me it's simply a routine now.  One thought that crossed my mind the other day as I was hiking over that hill helped me realize why I do what I do.  Yes, there have been others in my life who have motivated me in my journey.  For this I am grateful.  However, in the middle of a recent hike up a 650 foot hill in 95 degree weather I came upon one realization.  I desire to keep going!  When everything within me yells "STOP!,"  I keep going.   Thank you Kevin.

~Scott~