Never Save Anything for the Swim Back
Let me tell you about a little known movie with a really important message.
The movie was Gattaca.
In this movie, there was an endless struggle between two brothers.
One brother excelled at athletics and was a scholar. The other younger brother (played by Ethan Hawke) was smaller and had to work hard for everything he ever wanted.
As children they would “challenge” each other in various ways. And neither backed down from a challenge.
One challenge that they did regularly was to swim out into the ocean. And the first one to turn back would lose. A simple game of chicken. But, to them, it meant everything in their lives.
As you can imagine, the younger,weaker brother, Vincent (Ethan Hawke) always lost to his stronger, more courageous, more confident brother.
Until one day.
Something was different.
Vincent didn’t lose, he won. This fractured the relationship. Vincent was no longer the weak one and his older brother Anton, couldn’t handle it. They stopped talking and both went their separate ways.
The Story Continued…
One day they reunited and the challenge was laid down again. Vincent reminded Anton that he was the one who quit the last time they ran the challene. Anton’s life had been consumed by this fact and he never forgot that day.
He wanted to prove he was still the stronger brother. He had to prove it. His whole identify was centered around the fact that he was superior.
The challenge was laid down again.
But, like the last time, Vincent won. Anton asked him how he did it, and this is what was said.
====================================
Anton Freeman: Vincent! How are you doing this Vincent? How have you done any of this? We have to go back.
Vincent: It’s too late for that. We’re closer to the other side.
Anton Freeman: What other side? You wanna drown us both?
Vincent: You wanna know how I did it? This is how I did it Anton. I never saved anything for the swim back.
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And there it is.
Read that bold line again and sit in silence as you let those words burn into your brain.
Are you living your life scared? Are you living in fear of success? Many people do.
Are you letting others judge you? And do their opinions affect how you feel about yourself?
Are you giving 100 % at your job? in the gym? with your family? giving to others?
Are you saving anything for the swim back?
Leave comments below telling me what this post means to you, what you might want to do different?
By Smitty on February 4th, 2011
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What makes this scene so much more powerful is the fact that Anton was born genetically enhanced through the the use of technology while vincent is naturally born with no genetical enhancement (he also has a weak heart). Despite his genetic deficiency, he still beats his genetically superior brother because of his determination and will. Really like how you used this movie clip. one of the best movies ever.
I love it! Don’t sandbag life….Go Hard everyday, at everything YOU DO!
Awesome Smitty……great things come to those who WORK and PUSH BEYOND what’s expected! DO WORK!
Smitty,
Another WOW!
Those words will be in my head each and every time I attempt a lift out of my comfort zone.
Thank you for sharing this…I remember the movie, I remember the scene and I will focus on those words each and every time I work to break through new boundaries.
🙂
I made a lot of dumb mistakes as a teen. Put little to no work into my studies and eventually dropped out of high school. Fast forward 7 years I realized what I wanted to be … an electrical engineer lol. I was not smart, I had no money, and I had a wife and 2 children to take care of with only a minimum wage job. I guess I was too stubborn (too stupid) to realize that I had too much on my plate and that a HS dropout is to dumb to get an engineering degree. I spent my first year playing catch from what I was missing from high school (I could barely do basic algebra). After that I busted my butt for the next 4 years, eating when I had money, sleeping when I could, studying from sun up to sundown and then some. I would go until I got sick and then keep going. One day I realized that if I did not get this degree I would never be able to pay back the school loans. I left nothing for the swim back (so to speak), I had to pass ever class no matter how hard they were and get the degree (and eventually the job). It was a really tough degree and a long 5 plus years, but I am happy to say I did it and am now am a Design Engineer. This mentality now helps me in my training. Great movie Smitty, Great article. Thanks.
awesome!! one of my favorite movies.That quote goes along with people working so hard to have a plan “B” life they forget about plan “A”.
Jim, you always find the most inspirational things from some of the least likely places. I remember watching that movie in 10th grade. It probably goes without saying I didn’t get that beautiful message out of it.
I’m not saving anything for the swim back from tonight on out.
Thanks so much for this post! I sometimes over think stuff, and play around with “what ifs.” It always comes back to saying “&*$# it, I am doing what I set out to do, no matter what!” Just man up, and go get it! ‘Cause when you think about it, letting your dreams die is WAY worse than dying. No point in living if you are no doing it RIGHT, ALL IN!
Well. Now I’m going to have to watch Gattaca. Thanks for the heads-up.
Actually, Vincent is the older brother, not the younger — he’s the flawed first attempt, and Anton was born because he wasn’t good enough. Just another helping of glorious manpain for our hero to overcome =)
You just have to push hard on everything in life in order to succeed, Anton´s quote at 1:29-1:32 “I beat myself”… sticks a lot to me because sometimes even though the environment we surround ourselves tells us to quit.. the last decision is made by us.. we make the final choices in our own lives.
Great post like always Smittie
Very direct yet deep. Makes you think a bit. Good motivation bro.
Great post. This is probably one of the most inspirational I’ve seen. How true it is that if we live with fear of any kind, think that it is too tough, or that we can’t finish we will never reach our full potential. We just need to move forward, don’t beat ourselves and don’t hold back.
Thanks for a great post.
Great quote from one of my all-time favorite movie.
But you got it backward and left a critical detail out.
The older brother is one that had to work his butt off to get anything in his life, while the younger brother was born with natural talent and superior physique.
The older brother is naturally conceived by his parents in the back of a car, in the heat of the moment. He was born with poor eyesight, weaker heart, and expected to live no longer than in his 40-50s. The second brother was conceived with generic selection and enhancement (the move takes place in near future), and is born with superior brain, intellect, and everything better in general.
The story is about how a person driven with a dream can prevail over his disadvantages he was born with, and even surpass those with natural talent/gifts. A beautiful, beautiful movie.
A great message, and a great movie. The ‘reserve’ tank will only hold you back.
that was a good one smitty! thanks a lot!
oooh what a great post….. really made me think. 🙂