The Results of Self Discipline Part 3
“We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons…” — Jim Rohn
If you want to change the world, measure a person by the size of their heart, not the size of their flippers. When Admiral McRaven was in Seal Training, he and many of the others including the instructors were tall. As the instructor moved down the line of trainees, he came to a recruit that was five foot four inches. The instructor being six feet two inches inspects the life jacket of the small recruit and says to the recruit,
“Do you really want to be a frogman?” The recruit stands up straight and shouts, “Yes, instructor I do!” The instructor says, “But you are a tiny little man. Those waves out there could break you in half. You should think about quitting now before you get hurt.” The little recruit cries out, “I will not quit!” The instructor leans in and whispers something no one but the recruit can hear, “Prove me wrong!”
You see, the taller recruits wondered how the smaller recruits could make it. They were shorter and moreover, their rubber flippers were so much smaller than those of the taller recruits. How could they swim as fast? How could their little legs get them through the obstacle courses? You see, seal training was always about proving something. It was about proving that SIZE DID NOT MATTER.
More often than not we measure people by their size or stature. The larger they are the more we believe they are capable of winning. This isn’t always true. The truth is, it is the heart that determines who will win in any race. Yes, the legs may be longer, the feet larger, the legs and body stronger due to larger muscles, but the heart is not as big as the body and thus they faulter when the pressures are great and give in to the aching pains that are begging them to quit. Do not let that be YOU. Be the one with the big heart that will stick with it to completion and grab the blue ribbon for first place.
My wife is smaller and physically weaker than I am however, in my many weak times of spirit, she has stood tall and helped me get through because of her heart. She kept going when the going was tough. I have watched her for more than fifty years suffer with pains and aches due to stomach-intestinal issues, and numerous knee issues; along with bronchial infections, flu’s, pneumonia and covid, BUT NOT ONCE has she ever complained. Though my shoes were bigger than hers, she has more heart than anyone I know.
Our youngest daughter became the smallest of the family after my mom’s sister, Barbara, passed. Barbara was four foot ten inches tall. Lindsay says she was five-foot one inch but we all thought perhaps four foot eleven inches. None the less, she had a heart as big as anyone I have ever known. She was supposed to be still-born and as such wound up with many health issues that adversely affected her for her entire life. Not once did she complain. Not once did she draw attention to herself when she was down with severe asthma or bronchial infections. She had a great heart and taught me to take a different perspective on others and life.
That said, I learned by watching these two as they chose not to judge anyone that was smaller or weaker. They chose not to bring attention to their weaknesses and focus on their strengths. I had to learn to do the same. I had to learn not to judge people by the size of their body or their wallet. I had to look at the size of their heart.
Next Part 4
Best of LUCK as you
Labor Under Correct Knowledge…
Respectfully,
Rick Cox