Survivor Lessons

I LOVE Survivor.  I've watched every episode since the second show of the second season.  I can't adequately describe to you just how much I love it, or how excited I get watching it.  It seems to get better every year.

If you don't know anything about the game (is there really anyone who doesn't know??)...the game starts out with two tribes who compete against each other in challenges for rewards and team immunity. The tribe who loses the immunity challenge must vote one of their own members out. As the numbers dwindle, usually when there are about ten players left, the two tribes merge into one big group. At that point it becomes an individual game. If you win individual immunity you are safe from the vote and are closer to becoming the SOLE SURVIVOR.

The SOLE SURVIVOR, the winner of the game, the person who outwits, outplays and outlasts every other person wins not only the title, but ONE MILLION DOLLARS!! Not bad.

The game is not just a matter of physical and mental strength. It's a very social game. The people you are playing with choose whether or not to keep you around.   In the end, after the merge, the people who are voted off become the "jury".  (When there are only three contestants left, the jury votes for the person they want to have the $1M.)  Just like in life, the jury votes are based on wildly different things. Some of them have voted for the nastiest player because the majority of that group of people believed that was the meaning of game. Other groups have voted for the weakest-looking player because that person didn't rely on physical strength, but instead on his/her social prowess. You can't ever tell which way a jury will swing.

Something happened on a recent episode that has never happened before in the history of the show. Not one, but TWO people quit. Just simply quit the game. I had to look it up, because I only actually remembered a couple of them, but in all of Survivor history there have only been six contestants to voluntarily leave the game (we're now in the 21st season!).

Now, let me say....a lot of players THINK about quitting, a lot of players TALK about quitting...but most of them stick it out.  One player this season had to be talked out of leaving early on (by fellow tribe-mate, legendary coach Jimmy Johnson).  That player, Holly, did her very best to talk the other players into staying...even though their leaving would bring her two steps closer to being the winner of the game.  She said, "you signed up for something now suck it up and finish it".

That statement, and that attitude has really stuck with me.  Much like the sayings I got from this blog, "behave in accordance with a decision previously made", as well as "suck it up, buttercup"..."you signed up for something...finish it" will go into my file of mantras.  Not that I've ever even considered not finishing a race, but with the idea of "finishing", for me, comes the idea of finishing well.  I'm tired of that feeling after a race that I could have (and should have) done much better. 

At some point, just surviving can't be enough....I want to THRIVE.  My "race" is this Saturday.  My goal is to leave it all on the course....to do my very best, the whole 3.1 miles.  My A goal is to run my first sub-30 5K.  There, I said it.  That's what I want.

Thanks for stopping in, come again soon! :D