Guest blog by Path Projects KREW member Kyle Long:
In the world of endurance, much is made of knowing your “why”. Motivational quotes and videos saturate social media imploring you to have a “why”, to reach for it in the dark nights and long miles to pull you forward.
Many claim to have it, many lecture of its necessity, but I ask you to go beyond. I ask, what are you doing with your “why”? For a purpose and a reason is useless if unused and is wasted if growth is not a result of its existence. Your “why” can take many forms. Perhaps it’s healing from trauma, perhaps it’s to create a larger perspective on life or maybe it’s simply in pursuit of the exploration of the edges of human limits.
Identifying your “why” is just the start, taking your “why”, facing it in the form of willful exhaustion and suffering and taking away actionable growth and development is the next level. To face your demons on a trail is admirable, to navigate past them makes you formidable, to reorganize the lessons you’ve learned in the process and the ability to reframe them to develop oneself in life is to transcend.
Find adventure that will drive you to your limits, find where you break so that when adversity visits again, that breaking point will be further down the road, and the cycle repeats.
Don’t just suffer to suffer, endure to learn, to grow, to develop your character and to harden your mind, body and soul. Know your “why” but more importantly, use your “why”. Suffer better.
Kyle's favorite PATH projects gear: Absolutely love the Sykes PX and Graves 5” shorts. I run in them, lift in them, work in them and sleep in them, so yeah, big fan.
Read more about Kyle:
