"If" is hands down my favorite poem. I had it printed out and put on the wall next to my desk during my last deployment. I spent many days glancing up at it for encouragement and pointing other Soldiers to it for the same
Another great week! I loved the idea of "shaking off the night".... And was very moved by the use of boiling water as a metaphor. Please forgive me for reverting to my time at school, but it is of note for me that it takes 1kcal to warm water 1deg C. So 100kcal to warm water from 0 to 100. But.... it takes 540kcal to warm water from 100 in liquid form, to 100 in vapor form. It does not even go up in temperature. The latent heat required to make it boil is 540 times what it takes to move it from 99 to 100. As it relates to self improvement, I believe one can be making gains, even if the metric (thermometer) does not show movement. And then, after a lot of effort put into the system, the water starts to boil - and the magic happens! Hang on!
Brett, Thanks! You hit the proverbial nail on the head. We often don't see the gains we are making when we take on a new habit, and frequently quit and pour the water down the drain even when we are seconds away from boiling. I do remember that it takes 1 kcal to raise the temp of 1cc of water by 1 degree C, but think I may have learned it in dive school.
"If" is hands down my favorite poem. I had it printed out and put on the wall next to my desk during my last deployment. I spent many days glancing up at it for encouragement and pointing other Soldiers to it for the same
Another great week! I loved the idea of "shaking off the night".... And was very moved by the use of boiling water as a metaphor. Please forgive me for reverting to my time at school, but it is of note for me that it takes 1kcal to warm water 1deg C. So 100kcal to warm water from 0 to 100. But.... it takes 540kcal to warm water from 100 in liquid form, to 100 in vapor form. It does not even go up in temperature. The latent heat required to make it boil is 540 times what it takes to move it from 99 to 100. As it relates to self improvement, I believe one can be making gains, even if the metric (thermometer) does not show movement. And then, after a lot of effort put into the system, the water starts to boil - and the magic happens! Hang on!
Brett, Thanks! You hit the proverbial nail on the head. We often don't see the gains we are making when we take on a new habit, and frequently quit and pour the water down the drain even when we are seconds away from boiling. I do remember that it takes 1 kcal to raise the temp of 1cc of water by 1 degree C, but think I may have learned it in dive school.