Navy SEALs are perhaps some of the most well-trained and respected warriors on the planet. To attain such a status SEALs begin at Basic Underwater Demolition/SEALs Training (BUDS), a rigorous physical, mental, intellectual, and spiritual 24-week program designed to push hopefuls to their limits and make them quit.
90% do.
What about the 10% who stick it out? How do they endure BUDS and complete their training to become SEALs?
Former Navy Seal Lieutenant Commander now highly-acclaimed author Jocko Willink is famous for teaching, “There’s no growth in the comfort zone.”
He and other SEALs when remembering BUDS state it never occurred to them to quit. Quitting was not an option because they knew being a SEAL was what they wanted so they found a way.
While most of us will never experience the same challenges as Navy SEALs we all encounter times when we feel like giving up, including when it comes to our health.
Author Seth Goden writes, “Short-term pain has more impact on most people than long-term benefits do, which is why it’s so important for you to amplify the long-term benefits of not quitting.” (The Dip, 53.)
In the 1992 film, A League of Their Own, baseball coach Jimmy Dugan (played by Tom Hanks) emphasizes, ”It’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it great.” The same can be said for caring for your health.
Goden continues, “Never quit something with great long-term potential just because you can’t deal with the stress of the moment.” (The Dip, 64.)
So it seems the question is not, “Should I continue to learn and try new approaches to improve my health?,” rather, “Is it worth it?”
If your answer is “no” then stop reading this blog. You’re wasting your time. I don’t hate you. I respect your intentionality and perhaps later you’ll feel differently. For the rest, having and attaining the best health you are capable of is of upmost importance to you, your children, spouse, other family members, friends, and the world because your body in good health is the vehicle that’s going to allow you to do the work you were put on this earth to do.
You can do it. You can thrive. You can turn the key to better health, no matter where you are or where you’ve been. Do it one small step at a time, one new habit at a time. Though applied to a different situation the principle is also true of your health, “it’s never too early and it’s never too late.”1
You-Thrive.net 