Scott Godwin - Fitness, Nutrition, Wellness
  • Blog
  • About
  • Bookstore / Products
  • Subscribe for Free
  • Free E-Books
  • Services
  • Endorsements
  • Contact
  • The 12 Principles of Fitness
  • Models
  • Speaking Profile

The Indomitable Human Spirit

5/27/2015

Comments

 
Most things in life are possible.  An overwhelming majority of things are possible actually.  People said that no one could break the 4-minute mile until Roger Banister did it on the 6th of May, 1954.

You may never be the best at something, but you can do something.   

Break it down into pieces and do it little by little over time.  Showing up is the hard part. 
Picture
"The more restricted our society and work become, the more necessary it will be to find some outlet for this craving for freedom. No one can say, 'You must not run faster than this, or jump higher than that.' The human spirit is indomitable."

-Sir Roger Bannister, first runner to run a sub-four-minute mile
Comments

Sparta vs Babylon

5/15/2015

Comments

 

I can’t remember where I heard it, but someone compared West Point, the US Army’s military academy, to a little piece of Sparta in the midst of Babylon.  In other words, they were saying that West Point is a land of old timeless values- humility, respect, discipline, courage, honor, loyalty, duty, service, integrity – in a American culture with the values of Babylon, the ancient city of excess and indulgence: think the 7 deadly sins- gluttony, greed, lust, wrath, sloth, envy, & pride. 

This comment about Sparta in Babylon struck a nerve with me since some of the most influential people in my life have been military officers.  I have a high amount of respect for anyone who serves or who graduates from one of the academies.   I also realize early Greek military states like Sparta laid the foundation for the non-tribal, democratic, peaceful, and civilized life we enjoy today. 

Without Sparta, without bloodshed and order, without the armed guardians of peace, there could be no art, beauty, science, or progress. 

Last night, I happened to catch a documentary (click here to watch) about the lives of West Point officers who served in Vietnam on PBS which reminded me of the Sparta / Babylon comparison.  These men went through hell, here at West Point and in Vietnam, and then again when they came back in many cases. 

What really struck me in this documentary was how much influence West Point- Sparta- had on the officers lives’ outcome.  Some divorced, some made a lot of money, some stayed in the Army a long time, and some battled depression after Vietnam.  One particular officer who came back with only one leg and who was written off by society at the time, found empowerment through a snow skiing program for the disabled. 

One thing they all had in common was the profound amount of love they each had for the institution of West Point.  Nothing valuable comes easy. 

These are the values of West Point.  They may inspire you as well:

Duty- doing what you’ve committed to do, for yourself or others

Honor- proving yourself worthy of respect and admiration by your peers

Country- serving your country and others in some way

One troubling aspect of Western modernity is our insistence on non-judgemental thinking.  And while tolerance and compassion are core values of the American way of life, and always should be, non-judgement can be taken too far.   To not judge is to not think.  Values are a good thing. 

Values force us to grapple with- What is good in life?

Values provide motivation and give you a standard to live for.  I'm making a judgement: the values of West Point are better than the values of Hollywood, Wall Street, Washington DC, or Reality TV. 

I would encourage you to make judgements too, about the way you eat, the way you live, how hard you try, how you spend your time, and what you hold dear, and then temper your judgement with kindness and compassion for yourself and others.   We'll all fall short at times, but without values, there can be no meaning. 

So here’s to the old timeless values of Sparta.  May they never go out of style. 

Comments
    Picture

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

      Contact Scott

    Submit
    52 Weeks to Eating Better Than Ever! 
    Article Archive
    Click HERE to follow along.
    Fitness from the Inside Out
    Models
    TM
    Own the Book:
    Picture
    WATCH THE TRAILER:

    RSS Feed

    MOST POPULAR POSTS:
    Your Heart is A Miracle
    The 12 Commandments of Fitness
    High Intensity Interval Training
    Simple Solutions
    Chaos & What You Can Do About It
    Sparta vs Babylon
    Boost Your Testosterone Naturally
    How to Live Longer
    ​
    Movement is Motivation
    ​The One Thing We're Missing in Order to Be Healthy

    Categories

    All
    For Men
    The Big Picture
    The Body
    The Mind

    Archives

    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014

Proudly powered by Weebly