Since I was a young boy, I have watched how different walks of life deal with struggle. From elementary school to the mountains, there is a breaking point that people have. The point in which they decide to quit and throw in the towel on said activity. In school it was kids training there butts off to make a certain athletic team. When they didn’t make it, some would quit the activity all together. Others however, were more invigorated and trained even harder than before. What is that? How are some so motivated that struggle motivates them even more? I certainly don’t think it is something that you can teach, but I do think it is something that can be learned. So, how can you learn something that can’t be taught?
That’s an interesting question right? The answer is mindset. The right mindset will lead to motivation. Which, in my opinion, is solely up to you. All of us grew up differently with a wide array of experiences. These experiences helped shape us into what we are today. You are either motivated to do something or you aren’t. Maybe, your motivation stems from fear of failure and what others will think of you? Maybe, it stems from the prospect of achieving personal goals? No matter what end of the spectrum it’s on, that is what will push you through struggle. The sight of the finish line. Knowing that you set out to do something and you did it, whether you came in 1st place or not. The search and want for resolution.
On a tough hunt, we all want that resolution. We want to head home victorious with a cooler full of meat and a memory bank that is overflowing with riches. I’ve been on some pretty uneventful/grueling hunts that ended with that very resolution. However, it never would have happened if I let myself be defeated by my own inhibitions. This is one of the reasons that I always tell people things like “soak it up” and “embrace the hunt.” By doing this, it not only keeps me honest and appreciative, it keeps me focused on the end goal, not the fact that my hunt might be going slower than I’d like. It’s easy to stay on track when the weather is nice and the animals are plentiful.
In the end, I want to leave you with something. When you are in the field and things are not going so well, know this. It is all part of it. Not all roads are paved or even maintained for that matter. If we push through the rubble though, we are moving forward. No matter how fast, we are moving towards that end goal. It is so easy to just quit things and I feel sorry for those people that resort to that often. Quitting may feel right at the time, but I promise you, it won’t when you look back on it. So, whatever your motivations are, don’t lose sight of them and remember why you do this in the first place. The struggle may be real, but so is the prize at the end. Eyes on the prize.
Copyright 2019 Dialed In Hunter
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