Recently, one of our most loyal readers asked me how she could get on the cover of Endurance Magazine. Not that there’s much of a science to it, but I told her that the only real criteria was that she needed to embrace the “Endurance Lifestyle”. She was a little confused and asked me what that meant, so I explained that the Endurance Lifestyle is essentially an attitude of possibility, a perpetual appetite for taking on a new challenge and realizing your potential, adopting the perspective that you will succeed when you try. Effectively, I explained, it boils down to believing in the possibilities of YOU and respecting others and their accomplishments.
She stood thoughtfully for a moment and then said, “Daddy, I think it’s time I took off my training wheels.”
A few weeks went by and we practiced a couple times here and there between the recent flashes of good and bad weather. And then, one afternoon, it all just clicked and she rode in a perfect circle for 30 minutes in a row. Watching my 5 year-old ride with such confidence got me all choked up. One of my proudest moments – and, I am sure, one of hers.
The next morning, she came bounding down the stairs and asked, “Hey, Daddy, can we ride my bike again today?” I replied, “Oh, sure honey, we can practice riding your bike again.” And, with a sassiness I have come to know all too well, she countered, “Uh, no, daddy…I practiced yesterday. I’m all done practicing. Now I just wanna ride!”
Thanks, Sophie. I’m still smiling with pride.
Inspire. Perform. Endure.
