This post is rated Sprinters, Olympians and Ironman.

Part 18 of a 26 part series.

I know you’re scratching your head after reading the title of this post. Here we are more than halfway through the “Endurance Alphabet” series and I throw a post at you entitled SURRENDER! Isn’t surrender the opposite of endurance? Isn’t surrender synonymous with giving in, walking away or quitting? Well, I guess that’s one way to look at it; that is if you are of the fixed mindset.

In her book “Mindset” Dr. Carol Dweck talks about the 2 types of people in the world: fixed minds and growth minds. Fixed minds are quick to defend and feel the need to prove themselves. The reason for this behavior is that fixed minds feel as if their capacity is limited and passed along at the time of birth. Fixed minds see no area for improvement and ultimately few failures and mistakes as final. In this case, fixed minds are fiercely opposed to surrender. On the other hand, growth minds see setbacks as setups. They see obstacles as opportunities. Failure is a great friend of a growth mindset because failure represents the starting point for new growth. Surrender is absolutely necessary for personal growth and character development. Surrender tells us where we need to improve and even suggests a path to begin. Overall, this is a fantastic book and I highly recommend it!

FOR NOW I IMPLORE YOU TO BE QUICK TO WAVE YOUR WAY WHITE FLAG AND FIND STRENGTH IN SURRENDER!