10/22/08

Day 9: Duty, Honor, Country


Pose #5: Dandayamana JanuShirasana - Standing Head to Knee Pose
The past 2 days, the only thing that has been running through my mind constantly is something I had to memorize while a cadet at West Point. It is something that we had to memorize, but over time at the academy, it goes from memorization to internalization...to a point of view of life, work, and character that sustains me. In the a little under 24 hours, I have done 4 1/2 hours of Bikram. Why, you ask? Well, I committed to 31 days/classes. If you miss one day, you have to make it up by doing a double. Yeah Baby! 2x in one day. Yup.
I missed class last Friday, so I scheduled to do a double on Tuesday (630am & 430pm). When the clock went off Tuesday morning, the first thing that entered my mind was:
Duty, Honor Country....
Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to
be, what you can be, what you will be. They are your rallying points: to build courage when courage seems to fail; to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith, to create hope when hope becomes forlorn.
...They build your basic character...they make you strong enough to know when you are weak, and brave enough to face yourself when you are afraid. They teach you to be proud and unbending in honest failure, but humble and gentle in success; not to substitute words for actions, not to seek the path of comfort, but to face the stress and spur of difficulty and challenge;...
Gen. Douglas MacArthur
When I was a cadet at West Point, I had a good portion of Gen MacArthur's speech memorized, but on Tuesday morning, knowing what was ahead of me, the only part I keep saying to myself was Duty, Honor, Country....get your butt outta the bed....Duty, Honor, Country....you made a commitment....Duty, Honor,Country...soldiers never quit....Duty, Honor, Country...those three words reverently dictate....Duty, Honor, Country.

At day 7/8, I was doubting whether I could actually do a full 30+ days - non-stop. But just when those whispers of doubt entered my head; just when I was ready to come up with some kind of excuse to stop, the words of Gen. MacArthur reverberated in my mind....Duty, Honor, Country...and what those words meant to me. Quiting would have reflected on my character and that just isn't me.

Duty, Honor, Country...(those words) create in your heart the sense of wonder, the unfailing hope of what next, and the joy and inspiration of life.

And that is just what I am getting out of my Bikram Yoga Challenge Experience.

1 comment:

  1. Do they know you're doing these posts? I think they should if they don't. This is AWESOME STUFF!

    ReplyDelete