It's not the action you take when everything is going great that determines your true power; it's what you do when you believe you have no power left.
The moment when you're so reduced to surviving in the extreme present — the next tick of the second hand on the clock, the next breath — that just breathing is all that can be asked of you.
Finding a bit more strength when you're beyond exhausted, going further than you believe you can go… it comes down to a choice.
An act of sheer will.
It feels like an act of defiance. And the emotion that accompanies it is closer to rage than just about any other.
Before you go mad, get angry.
If all else fails, don't underestimate the power of going through the motions. It's totally acceptable to retreat into your robot self, utterly detached, and just keep it moving. Let your heart and spirit catch up with you farther down the line.
If you can breathe, you have everything you need to go one moment more.
Image credit h.koppdelaney via Creative Commons on Flickr