# Chapter 34

How do you handle the end of all your capacity and strength? How do you, or what do you, or who do you rely on when you have nothing left? When you run out of ideas and energy and vigor, what are you banking on? What are you counting on as your safety net? I am having trouble even defining the problem because we don’t have words and ideas for this situation. We expect you to resolve it all yourself in your own strength and power and honestly when we get to the end of ourselves, who can do that? Well no one. None of us can do what Roosevelt said, “When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.”

Hang on for what? Hang on for who? Hang on for how long? I think that this is all seriously wrong thinking and yet not one of us would deny that trouble seems to come in bunches and that pushes us to our perceived limits at times. And our perceived limits are all they are usually. That boundary will move when it has to, it always does. Your constantly changing capacity proves it. The challenge is building margin and competence into your life and not ever getting to the end of anything ever again. No more end of the rope experiences. That sounds really good. Except that we all have ends of the rope experiences and I think that we always will. There isn’t enough margin and competence in the world to defeat all your battles. So back to those three questions then: what, who and for how long? What - is your vision or mission or calling. Who - is whomever you most love. How long - is until its over.