A man who masters patience masters everything else…
A young student went to a famous swordsman and said intensely, “I am devoted to studying your skills. How long will it take me to master it?”
The swordsman’s reply was casual, “Ten years.”
Impatiently, the student countered, “But I want to master it faster than that. I will work very hard. I will practice every day, ten or more hours a day if I have to. How long will it take then?”
The teacher thought for a moment, “30 years.”
A person in a hurry seldom learns quickly. This especially holds true for powerlifting. You see, the sport wasn’t always a glorious experience for me. When I first started, I wasn’t quite 100 percent part of the team. My real purpose, in the beginning, was to help get the real lifters ready for meets—spot, load, run the monolift, help set-up the rack, and do whatever was necessary to help keep a training session moving. Basically, it was all of the hard work and commitment to the powerlifting experience, with pretty much none of the recognition or respect.
In the gym, “mentors” aren’t bought online or assigned to you when you walk in the door. They are earned—and so is recognition and respect. You earn the involvement of a real mentor because you've already demonstrated hard work and willingness, have shown potential, and, most importantly, earned a measure of their respect. The process is long. It’s repetitive and most certainly isn’t magical. In fact, some might even consider it mundane. That was my life for the first three years of my powerlifting career. And, every time I went from one gym to another, the process started all over again—each with its own unique way to earn respect or work your way in. The most impactful groups to me were also the ones that earning respect was the most difficult. As I look back on this today, I am grateful for it and wouldn’t have changed a damn thing about it either.
Realizing how much those formative years in powerlifting ultimately shaped my life, this Thanksgiving I am thankful for a handful of things from the gym that I will always remember—things that to this day help me keep perspective and clarity in business and life.
In the beginning, it was:
- Loading and unloading plates until I could barely stand-up straight
- Being virtually ignored for hours on end why I watched and observed everything I possibly could
- Waiting until everyone was almost finished in order to just start my training
- The training I did when nobody else was looking (because that was the stuff that mattered most)
- Learning when to keep my mouth shut and when to ask questions
- Cleaning up chalk, mopping up puke and blood from the gym floor
Then, after what seemed like an eternity:
- Being referred to as “training partner” for the first time
- Approached and asked if I wanted to come join the morning group to train
- Earning my first gym t-shirt
- Helping a training partner achieve his first world record
- Helping a training partner win his first national meet
- Helping a training partner overcome a career-ending injury
After several years:
- Earning admiration and respect from my enemies in the gym
- Earning my first mentor
And, finally:
- Sharing my knowledge and experiences with others
- Mentoring those who I see a glimpse of my own personal journey
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. May each of you reflect on your own personal journey and all the different paths that have brought you to today.
Header image credit: Ivan Kopylov © 123rf.com
Dave Tate, elitefts CEO
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