Even Metal Breaks, Learning to Endure Impermanence
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There is a strange moment that stops you when something meant to last forever suddenly breaks.
This week, during my Divisional paddle tennis championship, I was caught up in the match and clapped my hand against my paddle in a quick burst of excitement. I heard a sharp PING and looked down to see my wedding ring split completely in half.
That ring had been on my hand for nearly twenty years, through every chapter of life, marriage, fatherhood, business building, endurance training and Grand Canyon crossings. It faced oceans, airports, conference tables and freezing mountaintops. Yet one simple moment of pressure was enough to break it.
At first, it made me laugh, but the more I looked at it, the more I realized there was a deeper truth in that moment. Even metal breaks.
We live in a world obsessed with perfection, with building things that never bend or fail. But perfection is an illusion, and permanence is a story we tell ourselves. What really matters is endurance. In endurance sports and entrepreneurship, the goal is not to stay perfect under pressure but to last through it.
Endurance training has taught me this lesson repeatedly. You do not finish a climb, a marathon, or a 29029 event because everything goes right. You finish because you continue moving when things go wrong. Pain, fatigue, and unpredictable challenges are part of the process. The same principle defines lasting success in business. Companies that survive are not the ones that never falter, but the ones that adapt, recover, and keep progressing. Resilience is the differentiator.
When I looked down at that broken ring, I realized what had not broken. My marriage is as strong and connected as ever as we approach our twentieth anniversary this year. My wife and I have grown through every stage together, weathering challenges, celebrating wins, and learning to support each other through every transition. The metal broke, but the bond remains unshakable.
The same idea applies to friendship. My best friends, the ones I met in college thirty‑four years ago, have remained constants through every season. We have changed, matured, and faced our own pressures, yet the friendship still stands. I even reflect on this in my Amazon best‑selling book because true connection is built on endurance, not perfection.
That broken ring reminded me that strength does not mean never breaking. It means being able to rebuild with purpose and gratitude. Whether in marriage, business, or mountain challenges, endurance is not about avoiding hardship. It is about showing up again and again with commitment and love for the process.
Perfection fades. Endurance lasts.
If you want to learn more about Gavin Mlinar, check out my website: yesyourway.com.
And Don't forget to read my Amazon best selling book: Yes Your Way to Success! Why Don't You?
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