A 64 year old grandmother from Texas has inspired me! I don’t know her name or her occupation or
anything about her life except for one thing.
She attempted and completed the Big Texan Steak Ranch 72oz
Challenge! Let me explain how impressive
this is. In under an hour, this elderly
powerhouse put down:
A Baked
Potato
A Shrimp
Cocktail
A Salad
AND
a 72oz Steak
According to the Travel Channel, this competition began
in 1960 when the restaurant first opened.
Since then over 48,000 people have attempted the challenge and only
around 8000 have completed it. Some of
the biggest, burliest, Texan men to ever rustle a steer have tackled this feat,
only to have it end with them running for the bathroom or throwing in the towel
while the leftover steak on their plate openly mocks them with a big, beefy
grin. (Sorry, that was kind of gross.)
But not this petite grandma.
She would not taste the bitter draught of defeat. In fact, the owner said she finished off the
meal, daintily wiped her mouth, put a little lipstick on, and left with a smile
on her face.
Why does this inspire me so much? Simple.
Clearly this was a woman who hadn’t forgotten how to dream, how to be
fun, and how to meet challenges head on.
I catch grief sometimes from some of my “older” friends
because I’m a teacher and most of my time is spent around high school and
college kids. But to be honest, I love
them, and I love being around them! THEY
haven’t forgotten how to dream! Their
lives are filled with excitement about the future! They look ahead and make plans and tackle
challenges with enthusiasm!
A lot of people my own age have comfortably settled into
their lives. They isolate themselves,
lock into their own worlds, and rest on the successes they’ve had. Or they spend a large portion of their lives
regretting the successes that escaped them.
I don’t condemn them for this, but to me, the worse part about all of it
is…they become incredibly boring. They
lose their passion! They become terribly
predictable and spiritually lethargic.
So, to all my friends, my high school and college friends
as well as my “more mature” friends, I say…don’t ever lose your passion and
drive for life! Most of you younger guys
have it now because it comes naturally to you when you’re young. Hold on to it! And remember, the fact that you wake up in
the morning and are able to take a breath shows that God is not done with you. He has plans for you and a future for you. Go for it!
Do the things you want to do but are scared of! Dream about your future whether you’re 16 or
80!
Don’t throw in the towel!
Don’t give up! The 64 year old
grandma from Amarillo didn’t! She woke
up that day and decided, “I can do this.”
She got dressed, got in the car and showed up! Do you think her waiter believed she could do
it? Probably not. Did she let that stop her? No way!
And now, Granny’s in your face. She’s challenging you to not be afraid! To live life, to dream, to not be boring or
content, to wake up and say, “What can I do today?” and just as importantly, “What
am I going to do tomorrow?”
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