To develop mental endurance takes a mindset of tenacity and perseverance. When listening to the book Endurance by Alfred Lansing, I found myself so enraptured in the story that I had to turn on the heater in my car as I was getting cold, as the book described the frigid temperatures the crew experienced as they worked their way through the ice and severe weather conditions of their journey. The expedition of the Endurance ship to Antarctica in 1915-1916 was led by the renowned explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton. The primary goal of this expedition was to make the first land crossing of the Antarctic continent. However, the expedition faced unprecedented challenges when the ship became trapped in the ice of the Weddell Sea in January 1915. Despite attempts to free the vessel, the ice eventually crushed the Endurance, leaving the crew stranded on the desolate ice floes.

The crew’s remarkable story of survival and endurance became one of the most iconic tales of exploration. Shackleton’s exceptional leadership and resilience were evident as he managed to keep the crew united and focused on survival throughout their harrowing ordeal. Despite the harsh conditions, the crew displayed unwavering determination, ingenuity, and teamwork. After months stranded on the ice, Shackleton led his men on a daring rescue mission, sailing in lifeboats to reach Elephant Island, where they had to exhibit extreme effort to merely survive. Throughout this amazing story of survival, we can draw five principles to develop endurance in our lives: resilience, teamwork, planning, mental toughness and Innovation and be very thankful we don’t have to use these trying to survive in the Antarctica for close to two years!