" Set your own Bar"

   I am not a "Fire-God". No one will ever accuse me of being the most intelligent firefighter in America, or even at my department.I don't think I'm superior to any of my brothers, or deserve more or better than anyone else.I don't think I know it all, or have all the answers. So feel free to read this blog, not as an instruction, but as an observation; One firefighter to another.

  A few days ago, I was talking with a couple of friends about an upcoming race we entered. This race is the  Marine Corp "Ultimate Challenge" Mud run  We were all excited about the race, discussing strategy,( For finishing, not neccesarily winning) Training routines, and naturally our mental approach to the obstacles we would face. One of the other firefighters asked me if I had ever seen the movie "Gattica." The plot of the movie in question is irrelevant, and most would find it boring. But when I replied in the affirmative, he reminded me of a scene I have included here. In this clip, the "genetically inferior" of two brothers reminds his brother that he had once bettered his brother @ swimming, and in fact saved his life during a game of " Chicken". In their version, they brave the cold waters of the Atlantic, and continue swimming out until someone "Chicken's Out". After swimming out as far as he can, the brother who is "genetically superior, pauses... gasping for air, and exhausted he cries out: " How are you doing this ?" How did you do any of this ?" His brother replies, " You want to know how I did it ?! This is how I did it Anton! I never saved anything for the swim back!"

I like that saying. WE hear motivational quotes all the time. And motivational quotes are good, we need them. They help us encourage each other, pushing ourselves to better effort by inspiration. These quotes allow us to reach deeper, push farther, stronger....

 Quotes like: " Don't let your minimum be you maximum."

 " leave it all on the field."

" Confidence is contagious. So is lack of confidence."

" We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not a trait, but a habit."

“If you only do what you’ve always done, you’ll only be as good as you’ve ever been.”


  I love quotes, and the line that Nick quoted from the movie started me thinking. It's a great line... " I NEVER saved anything for the swim back!" I watched part of that movie, and took this from it. The main character had been unable to beat his brother when he competed against his brother. His success came when he refused to let someone, (something, some place, some environment, some obstacle) set the "Bar" for his performance. When he couldn't beat his brother in a race into the middle of the bay,( The place where there was enough energy left for the swim back)  He set his own bar. He would swim all the way to the other side, or drown.

  I don't want this thought to be anything other than simple, so I'm stopping here. I think every saying, every quote can be linked back to this
       "Idea". The idea that we are born of " Free Choice", a choice ordained by GOD. And the way to conquer is not through competition, or judgement of others performance, but in setting our own "Bar" at a height we choose. And when we refuse to accept anything from ourselves other than success, regardless of the consequences, we will be incredibly surprised with the results.


  Ecclesiastes 9:10 " Whatsoever thy Hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; ...."

Colossians 3:23 " And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the LORD, and not unto men;"