And this is what I told myself. I said, “Gary, you’re going to do this! You’re not quitting. Because if you die, you’ll still be an example to your boys that you don’t quit just because it gets difficult. You just don’t quit.” So when life knocks you down, roll over and look at the stars, okay?
This is pulling into the Yentna checkpoint at 8:27 a.m., February 5. The temperature was 15°F below zero. And the wind. I don’t remember how strong the wind was, but it was over 10 miles an hour. That’s why I had that white jacket on, as a windbreaker.
Here I’m cooking, getting ready to feed my dogs again.
You take care of your dogs. You take care of your people. You take care of those who help you achieve success. This is not about us just as a person; this is about everybody around us. Out there on that trail, it was about me and my dogs. I had to take care of them first because if I didn’t, they weren’t going to take care of me. I rewarded them every day.
If you don’t take care of the people in your organization, then why should they take care of you? You show them how much you love them, so they can sleep at night, all right? And they will take care of you. So yes, let them know how much you care for them. Coddle them a little bit. It’s okay to show people you love them!
