Be An Overcomer

There’s a lot of talk in these circles about being a high-performer. These are people who optimize their health and energy, get a lot done, push their bodies, and live a big life. 

It’s attractive to want to be a high-performer because you’re maximizing your output in the world and in turn your ability to achieve things that the average person can’t.

What’s underrepresented, and what I want to give voice to today, is beginning to identify as an ‘overcomer’.

An overcomer is someone who’s resilient, disciplined, and strong. They face adversity often but are always up for the task. High performers are often best suited to overcome setbacks and challenges because they’ve done the mindset work, they’re organized, and they have the vitality to fight. But being an overcomer shouldn’t be overshadowed by that.

When I think about people I love, respect, and admire, many of them are overcomers. They didn’t have advantages, or the resources, or the time to invest in optimizing themselves. But they had the grit and unrelenting itch to persevere.

One of those people is Devon Levesque. To honor his late father, he bear-crawled a full marathon to advocate for mental health. Yes he was fit and had done a lot of innerwork, but nothing can prepare you for something as physically demanding as that. It was his unwillingness to give up that got him to the finish.

Another example is my grandfather Paul, who I called ‘Papa’. I wish I could ask him about it… But he certainly was an overcomer. Born into poverty in Brownsville, New York, Papa was raised on the streets. Somehow, someway, he managed to get a scholarship to go to Harvard University and from there built a better future for my family.

And my dear-friend Dena Jo. After some medical complications she has learned to live with chronic pain. Yet she still manages to get up at the crack of dawn, get a workout in, and stay motivated. It’s a daily battle but she has the inner strength to fight it.

It’s great to be a high-performer, but a lot of the time that work is done when things are easy. But being an overcomer? That’s someone who can consistently perform when it’s hard. It’s what being a high-performer is really preparing us for… So let’s focus on how we can become that type of person more often.

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