Words of wisdom this week come from Diane Nyad, writer, speaker, athlete, and after many attempts became the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage.

I believe endurance grows and we can never discount the mental…the powers of concentration and perspective of what it all means. What you are capable of is infinitely higher at this age [64] than when you are a young twenty-something.

Speaking as someone who was 56 years old before developing the focus to complete training for a marathon, Diane Nyad’s words ring true. Something to contemplate while I’m taking a break: where do the scales of ability and mental toughness balance?