Each of us face our own unique adversities on a daily basis. They can range from simple, minor difficulties with small consequences, to giant misfortunes with catastrophic ramifications. Many people try their best to avoid adversity, but it is inevitable we will all have to face the music sometime or other.
When I was younger, I got into a couple of fights that taught me some great lessons in handling adversity. One day at a high school party, a younger kid named Frank and I were hitting on the same girl, joking back and forth, trying to see who she liked more. Well, one of Frank’s friends, Jay, decided it should not be a joke. One word lead to another and before I knew it, I had this little dude talking all kinds of smack to me.
For those that check in in the morning, sorry for the late post. I was at a Kindergarten graduation this morning. My mother has owned a nursery school for 14 years. For the last 6 or 7, I have done the end of year video for the Kindergarten graduating class. Today, her latest bundle of joys donned the stage in front of all the immediate family: grandparents, parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, etc. They sang their hearts out with the help of their teacher’s guidance. The parents applauded again and again.
Being heavily involved in the sport, I watch a lot of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fights. For those that do not know, it is like the UFC fights. There just happens to be a lot of different organizations many people don’t know besides the UFC. MMA is probably the fastest growing sport in the world. This past weekend, for the first time ever, an MMA fight was on national TV. CBS broadcast Kimbo Slice vs. James Thompson on Saturday night.
MMA is one of my favorite sports because it is extremely symbolic of life in general. It takes great endurance, dedication, intelligence, and patience to succeed. The other great thing about MMA is there are no excuses. When two guys fight it out, one wins & one loses. Simple as that. Life tends to not define winners as quickly.
A few days ago, I wrote about the importance of setting your own pace in the gym (here). Today, I am going to follow up on that idea, but instead of the gym, we are going to talk about life in general.
The main point of the original piece was to teach you to focus on your own pace, and not on someone else’s. This translates into everyday life just as well. Many of us have ambitions, goals, and dreams that are not workout related. Just like a workout, however, we usually put in a little effort each day towards these goals. And just like my last piece, many of us get caught up in other people’s paces as well.
Writing about this is going to cause some laughter in my family. Growing up, I was the total opposite of what I am about to tell you. I had a huge issue with respect. If someone, in my opinion, was mean or disrespectful to me then I unleashed a hell hath fury like never before. What I’ve learned over the years, after much trial and error, is that kindness is more of a killer than any hell hath fury could ever be.
I’m not talking about being nice in general. That should be a given. I am talking about being relaxed, calm, cool, collected, and kind when someone is being completely the opposite to you. Our natural first defense when we feel someone is not being nice is to reciprocate the favor. If you yell I will yell louder. If you throw a temper tantrum, I will out due your tantrum with one of my own, and so on. However, there is a better way.
Last Thursday, I received my purple belt in Gracie Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. It was quite an accomplishment for me. For those that don’t know, the belts in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu go (from low to high): white, blue, purple, brown, black. Getting a purple belt usually takes 3-5 years (took me 4), if you stay consistent and progress. The cool thing about Jiu Jitsu is there is no test to get any belt. You just are ready when someone tells you you are. So getting a purple belt is quite significant because most people don’t ever get that far.
I believe in the power of laughter. I don’t know where I would be in life without humor. This classic video by the master of comedy, Charlie Chaplin, is hilarious….one of his best.From the film ‘City Lights’, the video shows the tramp in over his head as usual, about to face off in a professional boxing match. It is obvious he has no experience in the ring, but he tries to play it cool. Being unorthodox gives the Tramp a temporary advantage, but he eventually learns the lesson nothing is more valuable than experience.
It’s always fun watching the Tramp learn any life lesson. Enjoy!
I’ve been home a few weeks now, working diligently from my home office. The most annoying struggle I deal with every day is the cravings for attention from my 3 playful cats. I have by no means stopped working any harder than when I went to the office every day, but already I can see the difference.
Giving up on my mortgage branch was not the easiest thing to do. I am a competitive person, and do not like to give up on anything. However, I had to step back and look at it differently. I was not giving up. I was moving forward, so I told myself, going to do what I should have done a long time ago. So how is the change going?
Each of us face our own unique adversities on a daily basis. They can range from simple, minor difficulties with small consequences, to giant misfortunes with catastrophic ramifications. Many people try their best to avoid adversity, but it is inevitable we will all have to face the music sometime or other.
