In my experience, the hardest obstacles to overcome are internal. Questions or doubts regarding past and future choices, life direction, convictions and dreams can lead to pain and uncertainty in ourselves. There is no worse pain than uncertainty in who you are or where you’re going.

I’ve had more than my share of these internal conflicts lately. But I’m not going to tell you about my doubts and insecurities.

Let’s get real; we just met. Plus, it would be really boring for you and solve no problems for me.

Instead, I’m going to tell you a story about a man who strove to change his life for the better. To prove to himself that he could conquer anything. A man who piled all his doubt and insecurity into one turn of pitch and loss, seeking to abolish them forever. A man who ate a sandwich.

Let me elaborate; it was about more than the sandwich. The reward for doing anything is the journey, not the destination. Accepting a challenge in life for the sake of the competition, even internal, brings more satisfaction through the participation than in the completion.

Challenge accepted, sandwich. Let’s do this.

It was a three-pound sandwich, to be exact: Nine different meats, two cheeses, lettuce, onions, tomato, mustard, mayonnaise and seasoning. Fifteen inches of glory waiting to be realized. Eat it in 45 minutes and your picture goes on the wall at Rammy’s Sub Contractors, 870 W. Lincoln Highway. Eat it in 16 minutes and 17 seconds, and you hold the record.

The first bite is heavenly, and while it may be delicious, I can’t afford to get sidetracked. In these trying times, I must defer to the great Zen master, Adam Richman of Man v. Food.

“He looked his destiny in the face, and he ate it.”

Thanks, bro.

Three minutes in and half the sandwich is gone. I’m sweating bullets and haven’t taken a breath since I started. Keep going, victory is on the horizon! Three-fourths of the sandwich is gone. You can do it! Twelve minutes have passed…12 minutes of delicious agony.

An absolute truth creeps into the back of my mind. I’m not going to finish in time to beat the record. Hands shaking and in obvious pain, yet somehow still smiling, I tap out and admit defeat.

You have beaten me, sandwich.

An old co-worker walks by at this exact moment and asks if I finished in time.

Me: “Nope.”

Co-worker: “Ha! That’s embarrassing.”

Me: “Have you ever tried it?”

Co-worker: “No way, I could never finish that.”

I may not have finished, but I gave it one hell of a try. And hey, I guess I can see his point. If you never try to achieve anything, you’ll never be disappointed when you fail, right? If the sarcasm wasn’t apparent in that last sentence, let me assure you that was indeed sarcasm. I’d much rather try and fail then never have tried at all.