Lone Survivor. The story of Operation Red Wings is told by Marcus Luttrell, the only man from his 4-man SEAL Team to survive the mission. Their intelligence proved incorrect, as the number of insurgents encountered was much more than anticipated. After an ambush, an intense firefight, and the loss of his three teammates, Luttrell was left unconscious with many injuries, including multiple fractures. He was rescued by a local Pashtun man, who harbored his safety for a few days before his rescue.

Many individuals give up at the first sign of difficulty. Some last a little bit longer, and others last even longer. But there are a few who have the drive and discipline to push through hardship to the very end.

Marcus’ story isn’t just about his fight for survival, it’s about the efforts of SO2 Danny Dietz, SO2 Matthew Axelson, and LT Michael P. Murphy fighting to the end, not giving up, and doing whatever it takes to get home.

Mental toughness…you either have it, or you don’t. Is this true? Can you develop it? What is it and how do you define it?

Mental toughness measures psychological resilience and confidence in adversity, stress, or pressure. It's a mindset that helps people persevere through challenges, even when things get more difficult than they've ever been.

David Goggins reminds us of the 40% rule:

When your mind tells you you're done, you're only at 40% of your potential.

Most people back off, slow down, or flat-out quit in the face of discomfort. This includes mental, physical, and emotional discomfort. But this isn’t your limit…you still have a lot more to give. Your brain is wired for comfort and safety, so when things get difficult, it’s in our nature to feel like we should stop. But realizing you have 60% left to give challenges you to push past those mental barriers and keep on going.

Think about it in terms of the gym: You’re doing a set of squats and your spotter challenges you to do another rep, even when you feel like you’ve reached failure. They spot you on what you thought was going to be your last rep. Then they challenge you to do another, and then a final rep. Yes, they may have helped you through, but you still did 3 more repetitions than when your mind told you, “We’re done.”

I'm a firm believer in the fact that you can train your mind for mental toughness. Just like a muscle, you can train your mind to push through the pain and suffering to achieve heights you never thought were possible.

Start doing uncomfortable things, and keep doing them. Go a little further next time you go on a walk or a run. Read an extra page in your book tonight. Wake up 15 minutes earlier to get something else done before you start your day.

Do something uncomfortable today. Do something uncomfortable EVERY DAY this entire week.

Ideas: Take a cold shower. Work out if you haven't been in a while. Have a tough conversation that needs to happen.

What's one tough thing you did today? Let me know!