Survival Skillsby Kay Ryan, Poet LaureateHere is the virtuein not looking up:you will be the onewho finds the overhang out of the sunand something for a cup.You will rethink meat;you will know you haveto eat and will eat.Despair and hope you keepremote. You will notthink much about the boatthat sank or other boats.When you can, you sleep.You can go on nearly forever.If you ever are deliveredyou are not delivered.You know now, you werealways a survivor.  I've always considered wrestling a spirit-quest kind of sport.  It has a deeply personal, introspective, and transcendental quality.  It can, in its raw form, teach us something about our character and will.  Stripped of all the trappings, it's you against your opponent—strength, speed, technique, stamina, intelligence, tenacity, and perseverance. In many ways, wrestling can be a parallel for the struggles we face in life. It is the instinctual response, in the moment, to the challenges or opportunities we face, relying on our experience, knowledge, skills and habits, which set us up for success in the long run. To survive and thrive, on the mat, and in life, these are prerequisites. It's why Ryan's poem speaks to me:  If you ever are delivered you are not delivered. For the wrestler, there's always another opponent, another workout, another few pounds to cut to make weight. I think the same can be said for each of us metaphorically—personally and professionally. Great strength and empowerment come from that knowledge. And sometimes, the magic touch of a “shaman” can help us find our way.