MM#20--Life Isn't Fair--Drive on!

Welcome to the theory to action podcast, where we examine the timeless treasures of wisdom from the great books and less time to help you take action immediately and ultimately to create and lead a flourishing life. Now here's your host, David Kaiser .

Hello , I am David and welcome back to another mojo minute. And our last mojo minute, we discussed the value in little things, the little things done with great love from the widow's donation to the Jewish temple, and to the great amount of love that took to then a Navy seal going through training to become a battle hardened warrior, but having to first learn how to make his bed properly. And all of this helps us to know there is great value in the little things and doing them well and with great love. So in today's mojo minute and keeping with that Navy seal theme, let us return to AB Admiral William McRaven, wonderful little book, Make Your Bed by the way, check out that mojo academy review to get the full experience in his book. In his book the Admiral has a key chapter with the main thesis being life is not fair-drive on. Let's pick up the book in the middle of that chapter quote, feeling like I had sufficiently feeling like I was sufficiently coded with saying I ran to the instructor, yelling Hooyah again, and came to attention. Looking me over to see if I met his standard of excellence in sugar cookies was Lieutenant Phillip L Martin known to his friends as Mooky. I however, was not on a first name basis with the Lieutenant Martin Mooky. Martin was a quintessential frog man , born and raised in Hawaii. He was everything I strive to be as a Navy seal officer, an experienced Vietnam veteran. He was an expert with every weapon in the seal inventory. He was one of the finest skydivers in the teams and being a native Hawaiian. He was so skilled in the water. There were few, if any, who could match him, Mr. Mack , do you have any idea what you are, why you are a sugar cookie this morning? Martin said in his very calm but questioning manner. No instructor Martin. I dutifully responded because Mr. Mack , life isn't fair. And the sooner you learn that the better off you will be unquote. Wow. Is that not a powerful nugget of wisdom right there? So let me repeat it. So it sinks in for all of us, quote , life isn't fair. And the sooner we learn that the sooner, the better off we will be. just one year later, William McRaven and Lieutenant Martin were on a first name basis. McRaven having graduated from the basic seal training and being assigned to the same location as the Lieutenant William McRaven found out that Martin loved to ride his bicycle every morning, he would ride 30 miles down the Coronado silver strand to the city of Imperial beach and back to the city of Coronado. And having been there myself many times, it is truly one of the most beautiful sections of ocean in our country because you have the Pacific ocean on one side a nd the San Diego bay on the other side. So let us pick up the book again. Unquote one Saturday morning, one early one Saturday morning. Mooky was out on a training ride along the silver strand his head down pedaling fast. He never saw the oncoming bike at roughly 25 miles an hour. The two bikes collided head on the bikes, crumpled together from the impact unquote oh man. Oh , the first rider dusted himself off and struggled to his feet. Mooky remained face down, unable to move. Paramedics arrived within minutes. They stabilized Mooky transported him to the hospital. He was paralyzed from the waist down with limited movement in his arms. Despite initial hope that the paralysis was temporary. He never regained the use of his legs back to the book for the past 35 years, Mooky has been in a wheelchair and all of those years, I never heard him once complained about his misfortune in life. Never once. Did I hear him ask why me never once. Did he display an ounce of pity for himself? In fact, after his accident, Mooky went on to be an accomplished painter. He fathered a beautiful young girl. He founded and continues to oversee the super frog triathlon that is held every year in Cornado unquote, man, what tremendous resiliency that is so in today's mojo minute, let us take our lead from Lieutenant Philip L. Martin and understand life isn't fair. And then the closing words from this chapter, let remember McRaven his words, quote, sometimes no matter how hard you try, no matter how good you are, you still end up as a sugar cookie. Don't complain. Don't blame on misfortune. Stand tall, look to the future and drive on unquote . Thank you, Lieutenant Martin for leading the way to a flourishing life.

Thank you for joining us. We hope you enjoyed this theory to action podcast. Be sure to check out our showPage@tmojoacademy.com, where we have everything we discussed in this podcast, as well as other great resources until next time, keep getting your mojo on.