Beyonce walks into a muddy field and gets a nasty shock
Feb 11, 2021
Have you ever day-dreamed about the singer taking part in a gruelling Tough Mudder race? Maybe it’s just me - I’m sure she’d ace it in style. Maybe it’s a ruse to consider what Queen B and the legendary obstacle race Tough Mudder have in common….
Is it because both push you to the physical and mental limits? Or that both are capable of ice treatment and 10,000V shocks but lead you to that sense of victory? Maybe..
For me, they both teach you about persistence and the value of pushing on.
It’s been a year like no other with several major events crashing together at once. No need to run through yet again but I cannot remember a time when so much pain and anxiety was played out across all media outlets in the same way. Families have suffered, businesses have suffered and so have entire countries.
For many people, myself included this has been a once-in-a-lifetime moment of change – to reset my own approach to life and business and I realise that I am a lucky one.
This week’s article is intended to offer encouragement and hope to those who persist in the face of adversity. You do have more strength than you know.
So, why Beyonce? Take some time to look at Beyonce’s back story and you’ll see that she started as a young child with a dream to make a career in music and dance. Scratch beneath the surface and you’ll find a litany of failed auditions, family breakdown, dissolving record deals, negative media backlash – so much so that at one point she reportedly stopped eating and locked herself away unless she was performing.
Beyonce’s story is one of tireless energy focussed on her performance career and the spin-off businesses she runs with her mother. She is an icon for many generations of young women and a reminder to all about persistence
“Don’t ever feel entitled to win, just work harder.” – Beyoncé, singer
Outwardly, #Beyoncé shows an unshakeable belief in her ability to live the life she’s dreamed of and has built an incredible support team around her to achieve that. She’s continued to show up in the face of rejection because the prize is too important to let slip away.
What about Tough Mudder? if you don’t know this is one of the most gruelling obstacle challenges on the planet. Just #google it and you’ll find mud, ice, endurance, pain, exhaustion, and valour. The creators have spawned a global phenomenon that has raised millions for charity based on the human desire to play outside their comfort zone. I’ve never competed, ignoring my brothers’ pleas for me to take part.
I do admire people that take part – even if they are in the 26% that do not finish. It is gruelling. For me, though there’s a particular cruelty in one obstacle – Everest. This is a half-pipe near the end of the 26-mile race. Where you’ve pushed your body and mind to their limits. You’re cold and exhausted. The mudder-guide.co.uk though has great training tips
“Most of the time, Everest 2.0 is the second to last obstacle, which means you're already pretty worn out once you tackle it.
Still, you have to gather all the strength you've left, start sprinting, and run up a steep and slippery halfpipe.
It's almost impossible to make the final part on your own. Try to grab the hand of another Mudder, so he can pull you up.”
From Tough Mudder Obstacles – The Ultimate Guide! mudder-guide.co.uk
Even though it looks like an impossible feat there’s hope in the advice, equally for business owners and homeschoolers alike. It’s a tough ask - you have to believe you can overcome it. Take a full sprint at the challenge ahead and be prepared to ask for and to offer help to others. The prize is there, the rewards are there. Whether you win or lose the growth and the learnings are invaluable. You’ll surprise yourself with the courage and determination that you have.
A sentiment best summed up by financier and Head of the European Central Bank, Christine Lagarde:
"I think that there is a lot of inner strength in all of you and in each and every one of us in order to just carry on and wherever we are, push, push, push."
Christine Lagarde
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