We all know the story of the tortoise and the hare. We were all told about the race between the rabbit and the turtle and we all know the M. Night Shyamalan ending. We all understand that the rabbit was fast and showy but the turtle was slow and steady and that’s why he won.
The case for steady Eddie
The word steadfast means fixed in direction, firm in purpose, unwavering, resolute in faith, and firmly fixed in position. That’s what the tortoise was. Steadfast.
The story of the tortoise beating the faster hare was told to most of us as children in order to teach us the importance of being steady and consistent. The importance of being steadfast. But what we weren’t told is how rare those traits actually are.
Think about it, how many people do you know who are steadfast? How many people do you know who are consistent and steady in life? One? Two? If you are lucky.
It’s rare.
It’s rare because our culture glorifies the hare. He’s exciting. He’s dangerous. He’s a braggadocio. He’s fast and fun to watch. Let’s be honest, he gets all the attention. And as a culture we love attention. So we are all conditioned to be like the hare. As they say, women want him and men want to be him.
The tortoise on the other hand is seen as boring. His image is slow and even and steady and focused and…I’ve already bored myself writing about him.
But consider this: the tortoise won. That’s pretty exciting.
The hare isn’t rare
Our culture is filled with millions and millions of hares, all running around frantically but going nowhere fast. People without purpose or direction in life. All energy and no focus.
How many girls are attracted to the “bad boy?” But how many bad boys actually work out as husbands, fathers, business builders, or people builders? How many men and women have drive but no direction? Millions. Millions of people run around every day letting their moment by moment emotions tell them what to do.
Being the tortoise takes discipline and self-control but being the hare takes no special talent except unfocused energy. Being the hare is easy. Being the hare is the default setting of life.
The tortoise on purpose
The tortoise doesn’t have to be boring. In fact, some people see boring and assume it’s a tortoise when in reality it’s just a hare without a personality. True focus and steadiness comes from passion and desire, and those things aren’t boring.
Being boring doesn’t inspire anyone. But the truth is, people who are steadfast actually inspire others to be steadfast. Resolute people who are firm in purpose and fixed in direction often inspire in other people the desire to find the steadfast part of themselves.
Tortoise people are the people in your life who are honorable and trustworthy and dependable and faithful and true. Traits this world could use far more of.
The pace of the race
The race of life has already started. If you are breathing you are already running.
The good news is you can become more tortoise like. You can become steadfast. Focus can be trained. Self-control can be built. Discipline can be learned.
Focus is the difference between the beam of a flashlight and the beam of a laser. Self-control just means you know what you want and you are willing to do what it takes to get it. Discipline is power under control in the same way a Rottweiler who has been trained as a guard dog is actually more powerful than his untrained counterpart.
The tortoise teaches us what focused power and energy look like.
Don’t delay, start today
In your new adventure as a steadfast tortoise you might have to overcome some naysayers who doubt your ability to beat the showy, attention-getting hare. You’ll also have to watch your step because it’s easy to accidentally trip over one or two sleeping hares who are probably dreaming about how fast they are. And you’ll have to keep your chin up as you get outrun by hares who are pretty sure they are going to beat you. But don’t worry, you’ll see them again on your way to the finish line.
Happy racing!
