The other day I read an article about a man who wanted to be a Navy Seal so badly that he lost 100 pounds in 2 months on his own. After returning home from service he wanted to do something to help raise money for the children of fallen soldiers. He found ultra-marathons and decided that was just the thing.
He called the sponsors for Badwater, a 135 mile race through Death Valley, and asked if he could do the race. They said maybe, but only if he completed a few before that race. Two weeks later he finished his first ultra marathon, 100 miles. He broke nearly every bone in his feet and suffered kidney failure. But he woke up the next day happy to be alive and two weeks later ran in another one. Six months after that he raced in Badwater and finished 5th. When talking about pain he basically said, “So what. It’s just pain.”
Okay, so this guy is some sort of incredible hulk (and slightly crazy), I agree, and I’m not suggesting we all run out to sign up for an ultra-marathon. Definitely not. But what I do suggest is using the words “So what?” the next time you want to give up because it hurts. When you’re running or lifting or biking or whatever and your lungs are burning and your muscles are shaking you let your mind tell you “So what. I can finish what I set out to do and just because it hurts doesn’t mean I’m going to stop.”
You don’t want to work out today?
So what.
