HTFU and other useful life lessons

I have a tendancy to be a sook and a bit of a victim.  Although I never think of myself like this, but quietly I know it.
Are you tough physically and emotionally? Both or perhaps neither?

I try and do lots of things that push me physically, I think, "yeah, I'm staunch, I'm tough", but in reality I'm not sure I am.  Once before a long running event, I received some wise words from a friend who runs ultra marathons, 'If something goes wrong, sort it".
In other words, no excuses, no one to blame, don't be a victim, dust yourself off and deal with it.
 
And something did go wrong, I started cramping 20kms into the 40km run. So I remembered his words and sorted it as best I could.  Along with the fact any form of withdrawing from the race would have required helicopters, sorting my shiz out saved my race.  Yet still as I hobbled over the finishing line, I started bleating on about cramp and "woe is me" kind of crap to account for my painfully slow time.  My friend who'd also run and finished long before me, said "yeah, me too", and as I looked around cramping runners and riders were everywhere.  Although I'd been "tough" to get to the end, I still looked for an excuse.  I was still a victim.  Seriously?  Time for me to harden hard.  I seem to have a pattern of trying to do tough stuff, coming unstuck a little then whinging and blaming others or making phantom excuses.
The Husband and I have had many a debate about this and how (be believes) it extends well, to life in general.  And even though I passionately defend myself, there may be a wafer of truth in this (and I'm safe here because he reads my blog only a couple of times a year, and only then to skim read to see if I've mentioned him in a less than loveable way).

Now you know I drag out the  ol' chestnut of living your best life whenever a skerrick of an opportunity presents itself, and this is a glaring one for me.  Because many have genuine and heartfelt reasons for being victims, for making excuses, for not getting on.  Life may have dealt them a crap hand, and then their next hand is ever worse, but still, they keep going and not crumbling under the weight of the baggage they may reluctantly have to carry around.  They see the good things as amazing, they see the bonuses as miracles, and they keep moving on.
I have been gifted a number of people in my life, who I just constantly shake my head at their resilience and unwillingness to be victims.

And if ever there is a life lesson to be learnt, it's by rubbing up against these people and hoping that a little of their optimism and refusal to fall, rubs off on you as well.

Is your glass half full, or half empty even though you like to think of it as half full?


And I dedicate this post to my lovely, brave sister-in-law who this morning has started a battle with breast cancer and will stare it down with pragmatism, determination and faith.  She is an inspiration.  Always has been.  And I bet she doesn't even know that.