Trial by Fire

Trial by

As leader of this mission it is your job, as primary objective, to take the team at full speed to the river. Once there you will fall back, stand down and allow each individual to decide for themselves whether or not to jump in, swim across, find a boat or bridge, or retreat. This is a test. It may not be repeated soon. You have this one chance to get it done. Use the tools you were given, understand and commit to the objective, and execute your plan. 

GO. 

This dramatic imagery conjures visions of challenge, teamwork, presence and focus. We could have made it even more interesting by adding the always unruly elements of fatigue, hunger, dehydration and/or sleep deprivation, and of course, a bit of distraction for good measure. Yes and while we’re at it, let’s compromise one of the five, say speech, this has to be done stealthily and silently. No verbal communication. 

Yesterday in my haste to get the story told, I left out a shipping container sized load of detail. The story was that of Jenny Graham, and her astounding global circumnavigation of the earth, all 18,000 miles of it. I used the story in class this morning as a way to match up (sure go ahead and compare) our puny commitments with those she demonstrated on her, what can accurately be called, incredible achievement. In review, 18,000 miles, all six (We combine Europe and Asia because they are one land mass), in an astounding 124 days (4 months) averaging 156 miles a day, fully self-supported. WOW. 

She said of her sacred journey that she was fascinated by the continually changing understanding of herself. For when she thought that she could go no further, not another pedal rotation or kilometer, she could, in fact, somehow continue. What was once a fact (I cannot go further) was being challenged every day and proven to be incorrect, inaccurate or, should one choose to frame it as such, a lie. Truth being revealed to her in the form of courage and wisdom. 

Match that up with our current understanding of our limitations. On what conditions or under what circumstances do we, traditionally, toss the towel? When do we give up and go home, or worse, never take that magical first step?

The process we call progressive overload gives us a chance and flashes a chance for us to move in the direction of our energy, power, commitments and bold vision. It allows us to continually improve by consistently adding to our current total package. You got speed? Add power. You got power? Add endurance. You got endurance? Add adventure. You got adventure? Add dynamic flow. 

We add until our story is told and our souls are satisfied with our produced effort, a true trial by fire. 

Your story will not be told until you have crossed the river, faced the demons, adjusted your strategy, changed your tactics, withstood the cold, endured the distraction, muted the negatives, made the sacrifice and accomplished the primary objective. 

And you know what that is. So go.