Often times it is not numbers that wins the victory, but those who fare forward with the most vigor.

---

Each Thursday I select a Viking quote to think about and despite these phrases being over a thousand years old I believe most can still offer value in modern society and I find it interesting to ponder, weigh and measure them. _{original im src}

---

This week's Viking quote

Often times it is not numbers that wins the victory, but those who fare forward with the most vigor - The Saga of Thrond of Gate

Over the course of my life I've sought success, (let's use that word over victory) as an individual and as part of a unit with mixed results. I've experienced failure, quite a lot actually, although success, achievement and reward came also.

Early on I learned the power of evaluation, that means of the goal, challenges or opportunities one may be presented with, ways to mitigate or utilise them, evaluation of performance good or bad and the ultimate failure or success. Knowing what may happen and planning around it, and understanding what happened win or lose, is critical to moving forward to achievement. It also brings rise to thoughts, attitudes and actions which will carry one forward more confidently.

Imagine if you can, a raiding party of Vikings in a strange land far from home with no chance of support and the understanding that failure to achieve mission-success means probable death at the hands of the defenders. Often outnumbered and not as well-equipped, certainly when in battle against organised and standing military forces, they were most often at a disadvantage. It was a perilous situation, risky and a great challenge however...they were Vikings and, as such, had reserves of something that allowed them to achieve their objective or, at least, believe they can - The latter is crucial to success.

This quote calls it vigour. (I spell it differently as I'm Australian.)

To me it means they had gumption, persistence, grit, passion, determination, a winning attitude, evaluation and planning skills, the ability to execute, work-ethic, drive, ambition, loyalty to self and team, ownership and responsibility, goal-focus, flexibility, teamwork, practiced ability and the ability to adapt and learn, open-mindedness, set goals, consistency...All things a typical person might need today to achieve an objective like a promotion at work or the completion of a difficult undertaking.

These days, it's easy to fall into laziness. We don't have to cook because ready-made meals are available. We don't have to hunt and gather as Uber Food delivers, we don't have to think because Google does that for us, the media imprint our thoughts and opinions. We don't have to take ownership and responsibility because someone else can do that for us or so we think [Generally speaking of course].

The feeling of entitlement is very prevalent and whilst it often delivers, I believe it's a hollow victory, one that breeds laziness and stifles vigour, passion to self-succeed, ownership and responsibility.

Life can be hard, the tasks, activities, actions and events we have to address can be also but ignoring them won't make them go away, or any easier. I understand that sometimes not even affirmative action can address life's situations although, it can help mitigate them, move them a little closer to success, or simply make one feel better through having acted.

I use the term massive action when I mentor and coach people. It doesn't just refer to physical action however. Massive action refers to thought and attitude. It means thinking with vigour, moving oneself forward internally, emotionally and mentally with passion and focus which will better prepare a person to do so physically. The odds are often stacked against us, sometimes even due to our own actions, [or lack of action], but with those attributes I mentioned above a person can achieve great things...Or small things that move one forward to great things.

Here they are again: gumption, persistence, grit, passion, determination, a winning attitude, evaluation and planning skills, the ability to execute, work-ethic, drive, ambition, loyalty to self and team, ownership and responsibility, goal-focus, flexibility, teamwork, practiced ability and the ability to adapt and learn, open-mindedness, set goals, consistency...and others.

---

That's it for this week, a thousand year-old Viking quote inferring that through the right mindset and attitude a person can overcome adversity, move towards the achievement of goals and find greater success. The Vikings didn't look left and right relying upon others to do the heavy lifting, they all relied on themselves to do their bit, as part of the whole - Ownership and teamwork. The Vikings applied this ethos in their daily life, be it conquest, battle or the efforts they put into settling new lands. Their achievements speak for themselves.

In the comments below, please feel free to disagree with my interpretation and add your own if you like, tell a story around this quote or general topic or simply react to it and let me know what you think, how you see it, how it relates to you or someone you know.

Skol.