There are lots of people considered tough as iron. Tri-athletes are called iron men and women. But I am not speaking of tough as iron physically, but tough as iron mentally. What does it actually mean to be tough as iron? Many authors have written about iron including one of my favorites, Napoleon Hill. I believe to understand what it takes to be tough as iron, we need to dig a little deeper into just how tough iron is.

After some research into iron, I found some very interesting facts. Iron is the second most common mental found behind aluminum. Iron was used for centuries to forge tools and weapons and later buildings and structures even in the early part of the 20^th century. Iron is not used as much anymore since learning steel was much cheaper and easier to work to form today’s tools and weapons. However, there are many iron structures still standing today after many years including our own US Capitol building in Washington DC. Iron is still very affordable but more expensive to work with, therefore steel has become the metal of choice. Even though steel is very sturdy for structures, iron is still considered a tougher metal. I found that a ton of raw iron would cost around $100 per ton. However iron, which will melt at 2,800 degrees, can be formed into many things. For example, one ton of iron can be formed into five 10 foot long I Beams for construction. By doing this with raw pig iron, you increase its value by 500% as each beam sells for about $100. There is a special iron needle used in competitive sewing that costs about $699 each. You can forge a ton of iron by melting and pressuring pig iron into nearly a million needles. This act of intense heat and pressure can turn a $100 per ton raw iron ore into a profitable $699,000,000.

What do we learn from being tough as iron? With enough heat and pressure we too can be transformed into so much more value than we ever were in our raw, uneducated, untested, easy going state. Some folks don’t like pressure or just can’t stand the heat. They are happy just being an “I Beam”, just getting by in life and always complaining about how unfair life is being to them. However, those special people who can fight through the heat and can handle the pressure can be forged into the envy of the complainers. They are characterized as “lucky” or “fortunate”. I believe luck happens when preparation meets opportunity. Most people want to be a success but are not willing to do the things it takes to arrive there. To be tough as iron, you must be willing to stand the heat and take on the pressure. The last thing to keep in mind about iron is that it cannot be destroyed by high heat, pressure or any outside force. It can only be destroyed from the inside by rust. Are we not exactly the same as iron? The only thing that can destroy us, just like iron, is something from the inside, our own thoughts and beliefs. Be tough as iron and do not allow rust destroy you.

“It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.” ~Vince Lombardi

Image by the Gomes Family from Flickr by spacepleb

yourfriend4life.com

Tim Wilhoit is owner/principal of Your Friend 4 Life Insurance Agency in Nashville, TN. He is a family man, father of 3, entrepreneur, insurance agent, life insurance broker, salesman, sales trainer, recruiter, public speaker, blogger and team leader with over 28 years of experience in sales and marketing in the insurance and beverage industries.