Yesterday my waxing woman told me I’m her best customer. Not because I leave her the biggest tip (although I do think it’s a wise move to tip people who can weild such power over you when you’re at your most vulnerable) and not, I should add, because of any resemblence to sasquatch that makes me a regular.

No, the reason she likes me is because I’m ‘so brave’. I lie back, stare at the ceiling and don’t flinch or make a sound – yes we’re still talking about waxing. I explained to her that I didn’t understand why people would put themselves through something that got them so worked up and made them suffer so much that they made a lot of fuss. It’s really not worth it – just reach for the razor.

Yes waxing hurts, I’m not imune to that sort of pain, but in my mind I’ve made the decision to go through that before I walk in the door – so just suck it up and get it over with. As the old running mantra goes ‘Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional’.

I think you can tell where I’m going with this story. Most things make me think about marathon running, but waxing is a pretty good litmus test for the marathon. Yes it’s going to hurt – that’s without question. But whether or not you stare at the ceiling and go to your happy place or whether you suffer and quit on a job half done is very much in your hands.