Orientation: Hell Week – Day Two Pt.6

I woke up from the pain that was put on my body. I felt out of breath and beyond exhausted. I was on the ground and was looking up. I was all of the instructors looking at me as they crowded me.

“You made it Nalani.” Was what I heard from SGT Molo. Tears ran down the sides of my face as I felt a huge relief from it all. The instructors brought me up to my feet and explained to me what happened.

It was all just a game, a game of pressure and pain. Who can out last and prove their will to remain is strong. They expected only two to stay, but instead 5… 5 people out of 40 applicants. That is almost 90% drop out rate. It is impressive, but the instructors told me something that I won’t ever forget.

“We did not expect you to get this far, to outlast this long. You have impressed us Nalani, with your courage, your perserverance and your will power. We are proud of you.”

What got me through it all was my wife. I kept thinking about her and her love for me kept me going. My journey does not end here, but rather I get to do some more training, this time with a dedicated team, and less stressful. Monday morning I get move on to the next phase, and I look forward on it.

-Psyiah Nalani

Orientation: Hell Week – Day Two Pt. 4

The team came back, exhausted and coughing up sea water. “NO TIME TO REST, LETS GO! PICK UP THE BOAT AND RUN TO THE THAT ENCAMPMENT!!” Yelled SGT Molo. The group ran being exhausted and panting. Their lungs on fire, legs feeling like mush, and another member leaving. “Wow… Good riddance. He would have left you when you needed him the most.” Now 5 remain. They reach the encampment and find more instructors there. The drop the boat as told to do so and suddenly find themselves beings gagged and tied up. The team panics and tries to fight back. They fail as they are overpowered for 15 instructors. “Tie the up and prepare for them for the final test!”

The team wakes up tied and gagged. They are around a giant pole, the hands bound to their backs and rope keeping them tied to the large pole. They all sit in a circle. There seem to be large Roegadyns males in face masks all standing in front if the team members. There is no sign of SGT Molo. One Roe grabs a moment and takes him to a small room and push him in. The door slams shut. At first quiet filled the air, and the uneasy tension builds. Sounds of grunting and muffled yelling can be heard. Sounds of agony can be heard. Scuffeling and thumping sounds as it appears the man is being beaten. This goes on for about an hour. The team remains quiet and psyiah begins to close her eyes. The exhaustion is getting to her. After about 30 minutes or so, the door opens but only the Roe comes out. His hands bloody and sweaty. He grabs another member by the hair and drags him into the room. The door shuts. Psyiah swallows hard.

Orientation: Hell Week – Day Two Pt. 1

Yelling continued, even before the 9 of us showing up. One person already left over night. “WELL LOOKIE LOOKIE SEEMS SOMEONE DECIDED TO COME BACK FOR SOME MORE!” SGT Molo now in some lighter gear, he stands in front of the 9 and folds his arms. “Seems that you just won’t learn Psyiah… you seem to not get the hint. YOU DON’T BELONG HERE!!” The instructors laughed at Psyiah, “Did you cry all night?! I bet you did!!” The other 9 remained just like Psyiah: still and awaiting orders. “Let’s see what all nine of you got today. LET’S GET TO WORK!” SGT Molo jumped down and began yelling orders, “PUSH UPS! DO THEM! DO 400 OF THEM NOW!!” The instructors yelling at the 9, the got a water hose and began spraying the 9 of them. They kept taunting them and yelling at them.

“OH LOOK!! ANOTHER ONE!!” SGT Molo yelled, as another left. By now it is in the late morning and all 8 of them have gone past muscle failure. Psyiah struggles to get to push up 200. “GO AHEAD AND QUIT! I know you want to… everyone else is… come on… you know you don’t belong here. So just make it easy for us and QUIT!” SGT Molo yelled into Psyiah’s ear. “YOU! YEAH YOU MAGGOT! YOU DONE?” “YES SIR!” SGT Molo laughed. “NO YOUR NOT! I ONLY COUNTED 2 PUSHUPS! NOW DO 398 MORE!” The other tank frowned and began to start all over again. A bell rang. “OH looks like it is time for a break. RUN 4 MILES, LETS GO!” SGT Molo and the instructors ran behind the 8 and began yelling at them to run faster. One of the tanks fell and Psyiah helped picked him up. One of the instructors kicked Psyiah in the butt. “WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?!” “Helping Sir!” “THE FUCK YOU ARE! GET BACK TO RUNNING!! IF YOU CAN’T HOLD YOUR OWN WEIGHT, HOW THE HELL WILL YOU BE ABLE TO HELP ANYONE ELSE?!”

The 7 of them get back from running the 4 miles. One of them gave up on the run. “I bet you are next Psyiah. So why don’t you just quit.” “No Sir!” stated Psyiah. “OH? YOU ARE NOT GOING TO QUIT?! HERE LET ME HELP YOU!” They turned on the hose and began to spray them once more. “SIT-UPS! 500 OF THEM! NOW!!” SGT Molo shouted. “The best part of all of this… is this is just a warm up!! Hahahaha!”

Rise and Shine: Hell Week, Day 2

An inner voice came to Psyiah as she slept, and was in her mind when she heard the alarm clock to get up and tackle on the day….

Rise and shine.

Six am and your hand can’t make it to the alarm clock before the voices in your head start telling you that it’s too early, too dark, and too cold to get out of a bed. Aching muscles lie still in rebellion, pretending not to hear your brain commanding them to move.

A legion of voices are shouting their unanimous permission for you to hit the snooze button and go back to dreamland, but you didn’t ask their opinion. The voice you’ve chosen to listen to is one of defiance. A voice that’s says there was a reason you set that alarm in the first place. So sit up, put your feet on the floor, and don’t look back because we’ve got work to do.

Welcome to The Grind!

For what is each day but a series of conflicts between the right way and the easy way, 10,000 streams fan out like a river delta before you. Each one promising the path of least resistance. Thing is, you’re headed upstream And when you make that choice, when you decide to turn your back on what’s comfortable and what’s safe and what some would call “common sense”, well that’s day 1. From there it only gets tougher. So just make sure this is something you want. Because the easy way out will always be there, ready to wash you away, all you have to do is pick up your feet.

But you aren’t going to are you? With each step comes the decision to take another. You’re on your way now, but this is no time to dwell on how far you’ve come. You’re in a fight against an opponent you can’t see, oh but you can feel him on your heels can’t you? Feel him breathing down your neck. You know what that is? That’s you… Your fears, your doubts and insecurities all lined up like a firing squad ready to shoot you out of the sky But don’t lose heart.

While they aren’t easily defeated, they are far from invincible. Remember this is ‘The Grind, The Battle Royale’ between you and your mind, your body and the devil on your shoulder who’s telling you that this is just a game, this is just a waste of time, your opponents are stronger than you.

Drown out the voice of uncertainty with the sound of your own heartbeat. Burn away your self doubt with the fire that’s beneath you. Remember what you’re fighting for, and never forget that momentum is a cruel mistress. She can turn on a dime with the smallest mistake. She is ever searching for that weak place in your armor, that one tiny thing you forgot to prepare for. So as long as the devil is hiding the details, the question remains, “is that all you got?”, “are you sure?” And when the answer is “yes”. That you’ve done all you can to prepare yourself for battle, THEN it’s time to go forth and boldly face your enemy, the enemy within.

Only now you must take that fight into the open, into hostile territory. You’re a lion in a field of lions. All hunting the same elusive prey with a desperate starvation that says “VICTORY is the only thing that can keep you alive”. So believe that voice that says “you CAN run a little faster” and that “you CAN throw a little harder” and that “you CAN dive a little deeper” and that, for you, the laws of physics are merely a suggestion.

So rise and shine. Luck is the last dying wish of those who want to believe that winning can happen by accident. Sweat on the other hand is for those who know it’s a choice. So decide now because destiny waits for no man. And when your time comes and a thousand different voices are trying to tell you that you’re not ready for it, listen instead to that lone voice of descent, that one voice that says: “you are ready” “you are prepared”. It’s all up to you now!”

Rise and Shine.

 

Psyiah gets up and readies to face the new day: Hell Week, day two.

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