Fighting through

I'm not sure where I learned to be stubborn. Perhaps it was watching my mom struggle through law school. Maybe it was watching my father complete the Iditarod despite a severely injured leg. I don't know.

This morning I found myself in the gym, halfway through a workout I really didn't want to start looking at the clock and I realized I was at a tipping point. I could quit, which was a completely rational idea given that I was feeling nauseated and my parking meter was going to expire. The other option was to accept the discomfort and continue to the end of the workout.

The larger issue here is whether I can live with myself as someone who quit. The answer is no. Yes it's just a workout. Yes there will be another one. Yes there may be consequences to not quitting. Fundamentally I don't feel as though I can just walk away when something gets hard.

I feel there is a lot of value of persistence in the face of adversity. I want to thank everyone along the way who helped me develop that characteristic. It has served me well..