Greatness:A few months back I attended the Arnold Strongman Classic in Columbus.....now just stop rolling your eyes! I am not claiming to know a lot about strongmen, (well I know a little about one :) and I realize one of my last post dragged on about how much I like heels and lipgloss, however I was in the audience so I have a bit of clout behind me so just relax. I am not a poser.....Strongman Brian Shaw entered the competition with a bit of a medical condition, a torn bicep. Now while I don't know much about lifting I do know it requires biceps. The morning of the event he tweeted:

3 Mar

Brian Shaw ‏ @shawstrength

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I am getting ready to battle today. Torn bicep or not I don't quit and I don't make excuses! I am ready to fight!!! #BEGREAT

Later that day he would complete a 1073 lbs. deadlift, which would result in a full bicep rupture with significant retraction. He then went on to complete the final timber carry and finished 4th overall in the competition. Extreme example, painful example but accurate I think. He didn't let excuses stand in the way of his goals. He had made the decision before hand to Be Great, and everyone that saw him, saw greatness and was in turn inspired. He didn't win, he didn't even surpass the weight he had lifted months earlier but he was great.

I have thought about this incident several times. Thought about it and all the excuses we give in order to remain "safe" "comfortable" "in control". We think we are doing ourselves a favor but in reality the excuses we make prevent us from being something truly great.