Playing Through The Pain

Americans especially enjoy a story about gutting it up, playing through the pain and overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds to obtain victory. Funny then, that American cyclist, currently in third place in the Tour De France, Floyd Landis hasn't made huge headlines. Well, there's Lance Armstrong's long shadow. And there is competing news. I guess it's a tough time to be a tough guy.

To me the difference between mediocrity and greatness is actually small. Intelligence? Lot's of smart people. Good ideas? Plenty of them. Hard work? That's a big part of it. But the thing that seems to take someone to wild achievement is drive bordering on obsession. This single-mindedness blocks out the pain, pushes through the adversity and denies failure.