SOME ENDURANCE REQUIRED
I had the opportunity to travel to the Pacific Northwest earlier this week to share the message of Champions 101 at the Washington State Athletic Directors Conference. It was an awesome opportunity to connect with some great people, to learn from some high level sport leaders, and to witness the connection and camaraderie of that impressive group of individuals. I left there feeling energized and inspired.
That energy and inspiration were quickly put to the test on my return trip home to Indiana. Severe weather in Denver prevented my connecting flight from landing and forced us to stop and re-fuel in Grand Junction. That meant three hours on the runway waiting for clearance to leave. It also meant missing my connection to Indy and the endless string of inconveniences that came with it. No flight options until the next day. No hotel availability in the area. No idea where my bags were or where they might end up. No choice but to spend the night in the Denver airport.
I know travel complications are pretty common, and I’m not here to complain. I’m lucky to say they’ve been rare for me. But like any unforeseen challenge any of us face in life, I found myself in a tough spot. The uncontrollable and unwelcome circumstances were piling up, one on top of another. At about 2:30 am, lying on my back looking up at the undimmed lights of gate B9 in the Denver airport, I was confident my present circumstances couldn't get any worse. It was right about then that the man sleeping next to me started to snore.
I ended up on a flight home through Chicago the next morning with no issues, and in the grand scheme of things, it was a pretty insignificant moment of adversity in my life. At the same time, I gotta tell you, I’m proud of how I handled it. I passed the toughness test I was administered that night. I chose a winning response to what happened. I maintained a positive attitude, and I treated people well in spite of the struggle. And while I would love to take all the credit for my victory, I want to take a minute to share some of it with those who were there to help.
Ironically, on my way to the conference, I ran across a random book recommendation and subsequently downloaded the story Endurance, by Alfred Lansing, to my phone. I’d been reading throughout the week the account of Ernest Shackleton and his crew’s harrowing adventure to Antarctica in 1914, attempting to become the first to cross the continent on foot. After battling through a thousand miles of pack ice just to reach their starting point, Shackleton's boat - aptly named Endurance - became incapacitated. The ice enclosed and its pressure slowly and painfully suffocated the ship, crushing it to pieces and forcing Shackleton and his 27 men to survive on their own, on a giant floating piece of ice, 850 miles from the closest outpost of civilization.
When things started going south in Denver, it was impossible for me not to think of Ernest Shackleton and his crew. Their story, their resilience, and their example had been with me throughout the week, and it provided me with some much-needed perspective. I needed some Endurance in my life. Circumstances were not ideal for me, but that story made it easier to recognize that my situation wasn’t the end of the world, and that many people have endured far worse than the inconveniences I was experiencing. I’m thankful Ernest Shackleton had the courage to go on that adventure and to share his story. He made it harder for me to take the easy way out.
You might also be surprised to learn that the other people who deserve some credit for helping me win in Denver include you. Just like Ernest Shackleton was tapping me on the shoulder that night, reminding me who I needed to be and what my best required from me, I found myself thinking about you - my teammates and partners here on this weekly newsletter team - offering some similar support and encouragement.
While Shackleton was spurring me on from the past, you all had me thinking about the future. That’s really what the focus of this newsletter has been each week - what it is our very best looks like, who it is we’re capable of becoming, and what winning in the important areas of life requires us to do next. I didn’t really plan on sharing the story of my struggle that night in Denver with you here, but I decided to for a few reasons. First, because there’s no telling what uncontrollable and unwelcome circumstances might be coming for you this week. If sharing this simple and in many ways meaningless example from my own life can encourage a little endurance in the midst of your adversity, then it's well worth it.
Second, I wanted to share your part in my story so I could say thanks for being on my team. Knowing you're here elevated my sense of responsibility to meet the standard we talk about, and your presence as part of this community gave me the encouragement I needed to give my best in that moment. You made it harder for me to take the easy way out. That's the description of a great teammate. I hope I can spur you on similarly.
Finally, I wanted to share your part in my story to help clarify that who you decide to be and how you decide to respond in your moments of testing are so important, not only for yourself but also for those on your team. You just never know the impact your decisions will have on those around you, so keep living and leading like a champion today, even in - and maybe especially in - those moments when some endurance is required.