Don’t ring the bell

“If at any time you wish to declare your weakness to yourself and the other participants you have the option to do so by “ringing the bell” are the words I read out at the start of Show No Weakness. We do so to let them know there is a way out but of course we phrase it in a way that immediately sparks all kinds of emotions.

That’s what we want them to feel, emotion from the get go, that is why they are here. Part of building mental and physical resilience is being able to control feelings and emotions when they arrive. You may never have full control over them but you will start to learn how to react when certain emotions pop up and in doing so influence in some way what could be the best possible outcome for you.

Truth be told we do not want anyone to ring the bell for a number of reasons:

1. They have signed up for a 24 hour experience, as those that have done an SNW can vouch for the last 6-9 hours are where the magic happens. I feel sad for those that do not make it there to experience those parts.
2. It ends the suffering that they think they are feeling, the suffering that is making them a more resilient human being, the suffering that is allowing them to grow mentally and physically, the magic if you like, it stops it in it’s tracks, how sad.
3. The clock keeps ticking, you know the end is getting ever closer, SNW is finite. However the feelings of failure and regret I know people carry will last forever as you can never turn back the clock. Some don’t even know this happens!
4. It’s the easy option that we so often take in the modern era of ease and everything at our finger tips and therefore just reinforces behavior we already have. SNW is a learning experience on so many levels, to learn we have to do things different, to reprogram, to change, to park the easy option for just 24 hours and choose the other path.

There are going to be people that do at some stage have to ring the bell in SNW or in life, life we do not control so much but SNW we have control over and with that control the option to take humans right to the edge where all these great things happen but not let them drop off and make their way home by ringing the bell. It is our goal that everyone makes it and quite unlike life we will do everything we can to keep people in the game by giving them second chances, asking them to propose solutions to us and work together to keep them in the game, it is our vision to make people better at life, not to ring the bell.

At the stage where these things are happening however the pure mental and physical fatigue that the participants are under leads to my opening point above in that emotions are out of control and the emotion to quit wins, the bell is rung and for the participant the temporary suffering is over but the long term suffering has just begun.

SNW is hard, physically yes but mentally more so. We designed it based on my parents being able to complete it and I stand by the fact that they would be able to. The objective is to within 24 hours unlock new dimensions of people so that they leave with a broader toolbox for life, the game plays out for the full 24 hours, we want you there every minute, the crossing of the finish line and all that comes with that is the ultimate parting gift from us to you.

Our only request………

Please do not ring the bell.