you’ve got to dig deep

as you’ve probably noticed from instagram, we really love survivor. when we first started watching it on hulu two years ago, we probably watched all the most recent seasons (the ones in wide screen) in a span of less than three months. luckily this was prior to the blog, because it totally kills our productivity. but two new seasons have recently been added, so we have been binge-watching them. as we were watching it last night, alex and I were struck by how much this show means to us on a level deeper than good television. we've found value in it as the show is actually a metaphor for success.

ultimately, survivor is about perseverance, will-power, and self-discipline. it’s about proving to yourself that you are capable of so much more than you think you are. watching people succeed at challenges, find immunity idols, and win rewards may at face value seem silly, but looking closer it somehow makes us feel like we can do anything. yes, achieving your goals takes a lot of hard work. but it’s that survivor mentality: you’ve got to dig deep. you dig deep for courage and you never give up, even when things feel impossible. and if you rely on the people you trust, you’ll usually go farther than if you tried to work alone.

we’ve always watched survivor at times when we feel the most downtrodden. that hasn’t been intentional, but maybe it’s subconscious on our end. survivor contestants play not in spite of, but because of, their challenging circumstances. of course they are motivated to play by the big check that could be at the end, but they also play for the love of the game. and no matter what, the game always deeply impacts contestants on a personal level because they proved to themselves how much hardship, challenge, and conflict they can endure.

as viewers, we are literally able to watch contestants live out their dream of becoming sole survivor. how often do you get to witness a journey of dreams becoming reality from start to finish, in real time? never. we witness the uncertainties, obstacles, and challengers in real time. it’s not about us just listening to someone tell the story of their journey - we are watching a journey in the making.

those who manifest their dreams in the real world truly do outwit, outplay, and outlast everyone else. in an interview i heard with seth godin, he talks about the pivotal point where most people would give up - but you don’t. and that’s where success lies. it lies in the fact that you will be in the minority percentage of people who actually kept at it. in yoga, that point is called your edge - the point just before you fall out of a pose.

at every tribal council, jeff says “fire represents your life. when your fire is gone, so are you.” in the real world, that fire is your passion. when your passion for your life, for your dreams, disappears, you feel like an empty shell of who you should be. when you live aligned with what you care about, with what makes you feel passionate and excited, that’s truly living. people on survivor give their all to the game every single day. they fight to stay in, even though they clearly understand that the odds are against them. each contestant has such an innate belief in themselves and in the fact that they can win. the show is compelling because we don’t often see examples in the real world of people who truly believe in themselves and are willing to take risks and literally make big moves to manifest their dreams. again, we can cite successful people all day long, but we did not bear witness to their challenges and hardships firsthand. we don’t know what those people were like before they started fighting for success.

right now alex and i are spending some serious time digging deep. we are fighting for the courage to put one foot in front of the other and to keep moving forward - both in our independent journeys and on the path we want to walk together. we are learning that sometimes just finding that courage to make a “big move” can take months. we are struggling to accept the process as long and arduous. watching survivor has helped us stay excited and positive as we learn how nurture the fire on our torches.