Endurance

I thought I needed more of a title than just that one word, but anyone who has any familiarity with all the word Endurance embodies knows that just that word is sufficient.

Several years ago I organized a book group as an offshoot of the New York Company of Friends (Fast Company and Heath Row's great social experiment) and we decided we would alternately read business and 20th Century fiction. The first book was "Endurance, Shackleton's Incredible Voyage" by Alfred Lansing. This is one of the best business books I've ever read. Everything about Shackleton's Voyage was against all odds. Not only did he endure, but prevailed with grace.

So, fast forward to a few weeks ago when I went to the single screening of Stephen Auerbach's "Bicycle Dreams, The Race Across America" that follows several solo racers in their quest to win RAAM, 3,000+ miles in about 10 days combined with a lot of suffereing, not only by the riders, but also by their crews.

This morning after getting back home from a 6:30 a.m. tri spin class that left my legs feeling very noodle-y from the full-out intervals, I came across Mike Dion's Ride The Divide via a Twitter connection. I've heard of the race down the Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. After watching the teasers, I can't wait to see the film. It ranks right up there with the earlier feats of endurance as something that just leaves me in awe in the true sense of the word, not as in the current "this burrito is awesome" sense.

So, all this rekindled what's always in the back of my mind ~ what goes into making a successful venture, a successful entrepreneur, a success of pretty much any effort?

Endurance.

Along with the firm conviction that what you are doing is on the money, a large part of success is enduring through all the challenges thrown at you to prevail to the point where you get to say or, at least, think, "I told you so!"