Eliminate Internal Resistance
One was when we had to build these race cars out of wood. The track was just a bit long ramp, and the cars had to coast.
We all had a basic kit to build our cars with, so they were all pretty similar. Adult help was not allowed.
Then we had some kind of tournament where we’d just let them loose, two at a time, until we finally had a winner.
It wasn’t very scientific, more a process kind of thing. Get the kids involved in some kind of project where they have to do things on their own, without any help, and then stand by the results they got.
As you can guess, the biggest difference was resistance. Whoever got their friction levels the smallest had the fastest cars. Since they just coasted, due to gravity, the ones that went the fastest had the least resistance internally (from the wheels) and externally (due to wind resistance).
I remember another time, when I was going on a long bike ride with my buddy. He was having a hard time keeping up. Which was strange, since we’d often trained together and we were in both pretty similar physical condition.
We stopped, thinking maybe something was wrong with his bike. There was. Somehow, his rear brake was slightly engaged, holding him back, and stealing some of his pedaling energy.
This happens quite a lot. Often times we think what’s holding us back is somewhere “out there.” It’s pretty easy to point fingers at others, as it keeps us from owning up to our shortcomings, whatever they may be.
But often times what’s holding us back is something inside. False fears and anxieties, based on stories we told ourselves long go, that we still think are true.
And just like my friends brakes, these false fears are stealing our forward momentum. We are moving forward, but part of us is holding us back. The struggle we feel is completely internal.
Once my friend had uncovered his brake problem, he easily took off ahead of me. Compared to how he was huffing and puffing before, keeping up with me was easy. Too easy, so he left me in the dust.
This is what happens when we learn how to dismantle our internal brakes. It seems easy. So easy we can take off, and leave our old selves in the dust.
Free to sprint up ahead, and achieve things much greater than we’d ever thought possible.