“I won’t back down. No I won’t back down. You can stand me up at the gates of hell, but I won’t back down.”
The lyrics of that Johnny cash song still ring in my ears. A reminder and constant reinforcement of the will and drive I’ve dedicated to this game called life.
There is only one certainty in life. Everyone dies, and it’s as true for me as it is for every human being on this planet.
Maybe that’s the one thing we all have in common. It’s common ground.
We all face the grind on a daily basis and while it’s true some face more hurdles and pitfalls along the way than others, everyone, no matter how amazing their lives seem face challenges. (That’s no damn joke).
Anybody that tells you otherwise is a fool and outright liar.
If you want to succeed in life and become the best version of yourself that you can, genetics and talent aside, you need to be prepared to give 100%.
“You’ve got to give before you can get.”
Talent and genetics alone will only get you so far. You need the resolve, that little voice in your head that tells you to go on and keep going, and not to quit when things get hard or when it looks like you’re not going to make it.
To truly say that you’re living a fulfilling, productive and happy life, I believe correlates with your ability to leave all the cards on the table.
To give it your all, knowing full well there isn’t another damn thing you can do.
That, to me is the real way of achieving personal satisfaction.
I’m not saying I have the key to living an extraordinary life. This is simply something I live by and make every effort to uphold.
I believe in this principle and it’s a cornerstone of life for me.
I’ll only do something when I know and feel my soul is 110% in it. Otherwise I won’t get involved. It isn’t just a question of morals and ethics.
It’s something personal and I intend to uphold it to the very end.
See, I know the difference between going all the way and stopping short, and let me tell you with complete confidence that all the best decisions I’ve ever made stemmed from going into something with all guns blazing.
Yep, you read correctly. No matter how many times you’ve fallen, it’s your ability to rise up, say screw you to life and that I won’t be at your mercy. I am not a slave to you. That’s what counts.
Never half ass anything. Go all or nothing. Play to win and always remember, when things get hard that’s the real time to shine.
Even if you do lose, this way you can truly do it with honour and walk away with your head still held high, knowing full well you gave it everything you could. You did everything humanly possible.
“Do something part-time, you’ll get a part-time result. Do it full-time and you’ll get a full-time result.”
I know it’s tough to will yourself back when you feel like you’ve lost your way. Most people give up, devolve and regress.
Hell, I’ve stumbled more times than I can count and probably will continue to, but I will keep getting back up. That’s what really counts in this life. Once you’ve succeeded at something all your previous failures don’t seem quite so bad.
Look at it this way, you’ve got a chance to start with a clean slate. You’ve got a fresh start.
You may fail 100 times at something, but hit the jackpot on attempt 101. If you give up on that 100th attempt how will you know?
The point I’m making is that people get derailed too easily and give up way too soon.
Practice makes perfect. It’s repeated so damn often and it’s so damn true.
Keep one thing in mind though. You can only properly apply this to your life if you have a purpose, a goal, something that you’re committed to and really want. (If you’re not a cage breaker this isn’t for you).
That’s why I love a good underdog. As much as being a champion is phenomenal and I imagine it feels amazing to be the champ. All eyes are on you but you’ve got nothing left to prove.
You’re at the top and that’s when people tend to get cocky. They get caught up in the fame and let their egos go to the moon.
That’s the problem. They stop focusing on what got them to the top and start gloating in self-glory. They underestimate those who pose a potential threat.
They forget that something as small as a pin can deflate even the largest balloon.
Good challengers on the other hand have everything to prove. (Especially to themselves). Usually they’re the ones working as hard as they can because they know what’s at stake.
They understand that going head to head, toe-to-toe with the champ is no easy feat and that in order to have even the slightest chance of winning, they have to bring their “A” game.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JSmbM1z54kThis video says it all. (The DBZ reference makes for a nice bonus).
Now it’s your turn!!
Remember, as long as you’re still breathing there’s still time to cross that finish line.
If there’s something you want in your life, what are you still doing here? Go out and grab that sucker by the throat.
THE GAME IS ON!!
ARE YOU PLAYING TO WIN?
EVOLUTION AND GROWTH
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