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I had no wish to go along with a culture that treated success as a zero-sum game. For me to succeed, you have to fail. I did, however, come away with a strong belief that there were plenty of other people out there who thought like me. They were people who craved belonging and purpose at least as much as money and status, who wanted to be part of something that they could believe in.

I understand that Tough Mudder is not a race but a challenge. I put teamwork and camaraderie before my course time. I do not whine - kids whine. I help my fellow Mudders complete the course. I overcome all fears.

the understanding that your personality and character are not fixed but can be shaped and strengthened by overcoming difficult experiences.

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved. - Helen Keller

In the office after each event we circulate stories from the road and try to make sure that everyone in the company understands ways in which their contribution fits in to the bigger picture.

We are lucky as a business that almost every weekend we have tens of thousands of examples from Mudder participants that true satisfaction comes not from winning easily but from overcoming serious setbacks in order to reach a goal. If they could keep optimistic and resourceful through adversity, then so could we.

Much of your life is spent worrying about what is going to happen tomorrow or dwelling on what happened in the past. Physical activity, particularly difficult physical activity, keeps you right there in the present moment.'

'Your time is limited,' Steve Jobs said. 'So don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.'

'Humans don't mind hardship,' Junger writes, 'in fact they thrive on it; what they mind is not feeling necessary. Modern society has perfected the art of making people not feel necessary.'

'success doesn't measure a human being, effort does'.

Courage exposes your willingness to prove your worth by doing something that is beyond your normal experience. All of us have a sense of our limitations. Not all of us can always find the heart to try to go beyond them.

Culture is all the things that happen in an organization when the boss isn't looking.

The arrogance of success is to think that what you did yesterday will be sufficient for tomorrow. - William Pollard

James Kerr's book Legacy, about his time spent with the All Blacks, studying their culture:

A small team of A-plus players can run circles around a giant team of B and C players. - Steve Jobs