By Fred “Doom” Dummar
Aspirations of success, accomplishment, and happiness are just that…aspirations until you start the work. A vision without a plan and effort is a dream. You can either dream your life away or get started.
The journey toward success and happiness will often involve confronting life’s unpleasantries, and this confrontation is often where dreams die. Transforming unpleasantness (suffering) into a source of enjoyment and achievement requires a shift (in your head).
Facing adversity and winning are learned skills.
My Journey of Endurance and Brotherly Love:
From 2008 to 2018, I guided my friend Ivan in marathons and ultramarathons.
Ivan was blinded in Iraq in 2006, and together, we ran marathons across iconic locations—Boston, London, Chicago, Marine Corps, and numerous small towns from Pennsylvania to Florida, totaling around 40 events. Our challenges extended to running 150+ miles in the Marathon Des Sables in the Sahara Desert, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, running with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain, and conquering a few 50-mile races. To many, it seemed like unnecessary suffering.
Hint: It wasn’t.
All that running helped both of us heal our minds, bodies, and spirits from combat, and it didn’t just help us; it helped others see greatness in themselves.
Suffering, far from being detrimental, is necessary for mental and physical transformation. Yeah, I said it (again). Change requires effort.
In the depths of fatigue, vulnerabilities emerge, demanding a deliberate effort to resist the allure of comfort.
Vince Lombardi’s assertion that “fatigue makes cowards of us all” underscores the need to resist the easy way and build the courage to endure the unpleasant.
Self-awareness of mental and spiritual challenges is as crucial as your awareness of physical training to build endurance. Transformational journeys are about finding happiness in the pursuit, exploring inner fortitude, and celebrating personal victories independent of the finish line.
Physical, Mental, and Spiritual journeys all require a measure of suffering.
There are strategies for building endurance (or the ability to embrace the unpleasant) and learning the skills to make suffering look easy.
The acronym for the journey is P.R.E.P.A.R.E.S.
P – Process: Shift focus from the end result to the process while you enjoy the steps and progress along the way.
R – Reframe: Challenge negative thoughts and acknowledge the temporary nature of unpleasant experiences.
E – Expectations: Adjust expectations and understand not every moment needs to be enjoyable.
P – Positive: Look for positive aspects and benefits within the unpleasant experience and focus on learning and growth.
A – Aware: Be fully present and non-judgmental of perceptions of suffering as you embrace discomfort for personal growth, regardless of the overall outcome.
R – Routine: Establish a consistent routine, making what you once believed unpleasant feel less daunting.
E – Exposure: Gradually expose yourself to unpleasant situations, building tolerance over time.
S – Support: Share feelings with a supportive network for insights and encouragement, and avoid those with a quitter’s mindset.
In the journey to find joy in suffering, my running experiences with Ivan are a metaphor for achieving what others think is impossible; outwardly, the world thought we were suffering, but we were living a life of significance and healing from within. The challenges, endurance, and triumphs are a testament to the strategy of being one that PREPARES.
______________________________________________
Fred “Doom” Dummar
Colonel (Retired) – U.S. Army Special Forces
Colonel (Retired) Fred Dummar was born and raised in Gabbs, Nevada. He enlisted in the Nevada National Guard in 1986, serving as a medic while attending the University of Nevada. In April 1990, he was commissioned as an Infantry Officer in the U.S. Army.
Selected for Special Forces in 1994, Fred commanded at every level from Captain to Colonel. His deployments spanned numerous countries including Panama, Venezuela, Guyana, several African nations, Iraq, and Afghanistan. In 2003, he played a significant role in the liberation of Kurdish Northern Iraq, working alongside Kurdish Peshmerga fighters during the initial liberation of Mosul.
Colonel Dummar’s final military assignment was commanding the Advisory Group for Afghan Special Forces (May 2014- June 2015). After retiring from active duty, he immediately returned to Afghanistan as a defense contractor, leading the Afghan Army Special Operations Command and Special Mission Wing training programs until May 2017.
From 2007 to 2018, Fred guided his friend who was blinded in Iraq through 40 marathons and several ultramarathons.
Together, they climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, ran with the bulls in Pamplona, and traversed the Sahara Desert to raise funds and awareness for Special Forces soldiers. Personally, Fred has completed 23 separate 100-mile ultramarathons and over a hundred races ranging from 50 miles to marathon distance.
Fred is a graduate of both the U.S. Army Command and Staff College and the U.S. Army War College, earning master’s degrees in military art and science, strategy, and policy. He is currently pursuing a Doctoral Degree in Organizational Psychology and Leadership.
Since his military retirement in 2015, Fred has served in leadership roles with several nonprofit organizations: on the Board of Directors for the Special Forces Charitable Trust (2015-2022), as Chief of Staff for Task Force Dunkirk during the evacuation of Afghan allies (August- September 2021), as a leadership fellow with Mission 43 supporting Idaho’s veterans (2020-2023), and as a freshwater advocate with Waterboys, helping fund wells for remote tribes in East Africa (2017 and 2019).
In the private sector, Fred served as Senior Vice President of Legacy Education (Rich Dad Education) from 2017-2018 and as startup CEO for Infinity Education (2021-2022), bringing integrity to real estate education. He continues investing in real estate and training new investors to find, rehabilitate, and sell manufactured homes with Alpine Capital Solutions.
Fred lives in Idaho with his wife Rebecca and three of their children: John, Leah, and Anna. Their daughter Alana attends the University of Michigan.
Media –
Website https://guidetohuman.com
Writing @ Substack https://guidetohuman.substack.com
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/freddummar/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FCDoom
Buy Me A Coffee
If our words resonate, help us keep writing them.
The Arete Journal exists for those striving to grow—individuals committed to becoming stronger, wiser, and more impactful for their families, communities, and society. We don’t run ads in our journal. We don’t chase clicks. We rely entirely on the generosity of readers like you.
If our work has inspired you, challenged you, or helped you on your journey, consider supporting us. Every donation fuels the next insight, the next story, the next spark of growth.
Buy us a coffee (Small donation)—and help build a better future, one idea at a time.
Leave a Reply