Are you someone who does nothing all day but clock watch? Do you occasionally book a sickie after a tough night out? Do you know someone who constantly whinges about working hours, pay conditions and work-life balance? Is there someone in your office who walks in every day prepared to moan, complain and bleat about how tough and unfair life is? If there is, then maybe you should share the story about Duncan Slater, a double amputee who has just completed the toughest race on earth-the 156 mile Marathon des Sables, so they can use him as a role model to inspire a seismic cultural shift in their own head space.
Duncan, a former RAF serviceman from Norfolk, was critically injured during a spell in Afghanistan in 2009. Tragically, he had both legs amputated to enable him to walk again free of pain. His prosthetic legs did not prevent him from pushing his body to the limit, overcoming intense heat, burning Moroccan sand and chronic dehydration.
Duncan does not wallow in self-pity, he does not look for someone else to blame and he makes the most of every day. So the next time you see someone slumped at their desk, thinking that the world’s against them and that their life is really, really tough, maybe you could suggest that they read about the Marathon Man who lives and breathes the mantra for the walking wounded, ‘Defeat is not an option.’