Brett McKay interviews Tim Jarvis in this episode of the Art of Manliness podcast, the author of Chasing Shackleton: Re-creating the World’s Greatest Journey of Survival. Jarvis recounts the story of Shackleton’s saving of his crew of twenty-two after a failed expedition to the Antarctic, and his own re-creation of the epic task, sailing in one of the world’s roughest seas in an ill-suited boat, outfitted in period equipment, navigating with sexton to land on the wrong side of mountainous island that must be crossed without modern climbing equipment.
Jarvis’ tale is an amazing listen, but what really struck me was the discussion of Shackleton’s growth mindset in the face of difficulties and disaster.
The quality I look for most is optimism: especially optimism in the face of reverses and apparent defeat. Optimism is true moral courage.
Jarvis and McKay discuss the idea of seeing each adversity and challenge as an opportunity to grow. Having a growth mindset has been an area that I’ve been working on developing in my own life. Rather than seeing my current shortcomings and deficiencies as areas that will forever plague me, I’ve sought to see those as areas ripe for development. While I may never be a professional athlete, or even a person that “enjoys” a run, I can improve my own fitness and continue to develop into a healthier version of myself. Rather than beating myself up for how much I weigh, I can see the daily practice of discipline in the area of food as a place where I can build on little successes, allowing the combination of proper habit and time to lead to growth in an area previously seen as a weakness.
What are some areas in your life that are ripe for this change of mindset?