Endurance.  The  inner strength to withstand stress and do my best.  Endurance is often associated with athletics and physical stamina, climbing mountains, or running marathons.  But endurance is more than physical.  The character trait of endurance is what moves each of us forward when things get tough.  And, boy can things get tough, whether it be physical, mental, or emotional.   As I look back at my own life, the lives of friends, family, and co-workers, I see marks of endurance as we each encounter difficulties during different seasons of life.  The difficulties can vary, from a big project, to a personality conflict, to a struggling marriage, or loss of a loved one.

A few years ago I sat in on a presentation geared toward public safety personnel and strategies for coping with stress associated with the job.  I still vividly remember one of the points made about the importance of recognizing their stress and how their stress affects their response to the stress of others.  The example given was that on a day they had to respond to a fatality call of a young child, they may struggle to understand the stress of their neighbor when his lawnmower breaks for the third week in a row.  Unchecked, their reaction may be to be dismissive to the neighbor or possibly respond in annoyance or even anger.  It was stated that police officers and firefighters would never want those around them to see and experience the things they see and experience, and they were encouraged to reflect on being thankful and grateful that those around them do not see everything they see.  Even though I am not a first responder, this resonated with me because it can apply to everyone.  Sometimes we may find ourselves not truly understanding the stress of someone else, we may not see their situation as stressful from our viewpoint, but stress and endurance is impossible to compare.  My take away was, we can each play the role of encourager to those around us.  Even though someone else’s challenge may not seem as great, we can be grateful that they have not had the exact same challenges that have built our endurance, and we can still provide them the encouragement they may need to continue moving forward.

Booker T. Washington said “Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as the obstacles which he has overcome.”  We each have our own journey, and each journey has its own challenges and times when we have to dig deep to continue moving forward.    As I reflected on the character trait of endurance, and the impact the support of others can have on one’s ability to endure, and the impact others have had on me during difficult times, I began visualizing fans standing and cheering at a football game during a long run.  Imagine for a moment a world where everyone is surrounded by others who encourage them during the tough times, whether that tough time may appear great or small.  And then ask, “Who can I do that for today?”  “Who can I cheer and encourage to endure in their difficult time?”

Originally published in the Owasso Reporter