Anyone who has played or is familiar with collegiate athletics knows all about it.

It’s the worst thing that comes with the territory.

You can’t do anything about it. It’s inescapable. Unavoidable.

6AMs.

They may have a different name depending on where you went to school, but it’s basically anaerobic training that coaches set up during the off-season in order to keep their players in shape.

Five to six stations of high intensity exercises that take place in a gym or field. Each station was 3-5 minutes in length where you jump over bags, run 20 yards shuttles, run around cones, jump squats under a backboard.

Anything that will leave you throwing up last nights meal from the café.

All that, culminating to suicide drills as the neatly wrapped bow on top.

I remember fondly my junior year, after completing the stations, halfway through our suicide sprints our assistance coach and defensive coordinator Kevin Barnette, gets everybody’s attention.

“STOP!” he barked out loud. “Stop what you’re doing for second.”

Coach Barnette wasn’t some young coach just looking for a moment on the proverbial soap box. He was a preacher, an old soul, with weight behind every word spoken.

We all stared for a moment as he paused, us trying not to pass out.

“Some of you are just trying to survive,” he continued.

“Just doing enough to get by. Change your attitude and start coming in here looking to get something out of this.”

“Thrive, not survive.”

We we’re all quiet for a moment. Some resonating with what he just said.
Some praying that meant we were done for that morning.

Coach Barnette turns to us and says, “Now get back on the line, we’re not done.”

Let’s switch the focus to a business perspective.

The same mindset the coach noted during a time of physical duress, is heavily present in our society today, often when there is no stress at all.

We distance ourselves when it comes to ventures that require effort.

Just doing enough to get by.

Just trying to survive.

That’s just not enough for individuals striving to be High Value Men and Women.

Thrive.

Under any circumstance.

I have used the phrase “better to say oh well than what if” many times on my blogs.

Because I would hate to be the person that says they wish they’d tried harder.

If only I’d put the video game down 30 minutes less to read about investing.

If only I’d had set the time aside to work on that business plan.

If only I’d allocated my money for long-term gains, instead of short-term pleasures.

Or maybe. . .we’re content with the mundane routines of life at the moment.

But I doubt it.

Too many hopes and dreams to be achieved.

I challenge you to make an effort to chase more.

I challenge you to thrive.

Weather Your Storm, Maintain Inner Reign -E.