"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit, it's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward...how much you can take, and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done! Now, if you know what you're worth, then go out and get what you're worth...but you gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that and that ain't you! You're better than that!" - from "Rocky Balboa".
That quote is about the most inspiring thing I have ever heard outside of what The Bible has in it. Last week I mentioned about my comic book idea, and I'm still working on it, but my new venture for this year hit me the other night. What is it? I'm going to sign up and start learning Muay Thai. I have always wanted to train in martial arts. I knew a guy in high school that was a black belt and showed me some basic stuff, and I wanted to start taking classes but two back operations kind of put an end to that at the time. As the years went on, the interest was there but for whatever reason I never did it. Over the last few days I watched two movies starring badass extraordinaire Tony Jaa - "The Protector" and "Ong Bak". The fight scenes epitomized the quote from Patton where he talks about inflicting the most amount of destruction on your enemy in the least amount of time. Last night while watching "Ong Bak", it hit me - I want to train in Muay Thai. Trust me, it's not some fad or craze, I have many reasons for doing this.
As you probably know, I constantly seek new challenges and adventures. However in doing so, there is always one common theme in what I throw my passions into - control. Yes, one of my biggest faults is that I'm a wee bit of a control freak. I'm better than I used to be about it, but I do not like putting myself in situations where anything that impacts me could possibly be decided by someone else, which basically sums up my apprehension about dating and relationships...haha. Seriously though, the fact that my emotions can be impacted by what someone else decides is something I do not enjoy, which is why when I do go out with someone, she has that "it" factor for me. I've been on TONS of bad first dates, as we all have. So if I decide that I want to keep seeing someone, then I'm basically willing to let go a little and take a chance because I think she's worth it. I can't just go out with someone who I can kind of get along with or whatever, there has to be that intangible that I will never be able to put into words for me to truly be interested. It takes someone pretty amazing for me to be willing to try and build a relationship. Yeah, I know that probably sounds pretty weird, but it's the way I am. I like to think I have a say in how things turn out. Like when I was in high school...all I dreamed of was joining the Army and going through Special Forces training and be able to wear that green beret. No matter how tough training would be, no matter how many miles I would be made to run, no matter how brutal it would be, everything would be completely up to me. I would be the one to decide if I finished daily PT, I would be the one who decided if I could finish a run lasting for miles, I would be the one who would decide if I could take the physical and mental toll. Of course all this came to a crashing halt after two back operations...and that floored me. It kept me out of the Army. I swear, when you gear yourself for years to pursue a dream and have it taken from you, it can be rough. And sadly, I didn't keep moving forward after I got hit. I spent a few years wallowing in self-pity because I had no idea where to go from there. But I don't regret any of it because I'm glad with where I'm at in life...I really am. At the time I was livid. So yeah, I was a VERY pissed off dude in my late teens and early twenties because of this and wasted a lot of time and energy being pissed.
When I became a Christian at the age of 29, my outlook on life changed completely. Now I am not going to say I thought life was all sunshine and rainbows like the above quote states, because I knew that wasn't true. However, I also knew life was up to me to make it what I wanted. This doesn't mean that if I just wanted to be rich it would happen, but I knew that life was filled with endless opportunities. Granted, I'm still a pretty cynical person...oh I know...big shock...hahaha....but I had this desire to want to try new things and take chances. I wanted a change of scenery so I moved to Austin, Texas. The job market collapsed a few years later and a job opened in Nashville so I moved back. Does that mean I failed? Heck no...I took a chance and it didn't work and I have no regrets. I always wanted to be the lead singer of a metal band, and it just so happens the opportunity presented itself when I never expected it to, and I took advantage of that chance and am loving it. I wanted to run for office so I filed to run for the Senate and while it was BEYOND frustrating at times, I took that chance. I love following a dream and feeling inspired. And I want to take on a challenge where I have a say in how it turns out, and that's why I am going to train in Muay Thai.
This year I need something that challenges me physically and mentally. I run a few nights a week and workout on my Bowflex a few nights a week, but it gets boring and hard to stay motivated. I have always loved martial arts, and I think Muay Thai is exactly what I need. If I excel it's because I chose to do so. It will be completely up to me. I really don't like doing anything to receive praise from others. I mean it's nice and all, but the only time I get shy is when I'm being complimented and I really have no clue why. I get more out of being satisfied with what I've done. That doesn't mean I don't appreciate compliments, but I only feel good about what I've done when I feel satisfied, no matter how many people pat me on the back. I need something where I can be proud of myself for pushing myself, and I think this is exactly what I need to do...and I can't wait to get started. I'm in the process right now of looking at classes and instructors in the area and hope to get started within the next week or two. Plus, this might give me the much-needed incentive to quit smoking. I think it would be great to have something I truly want to excel at physically to where smoking is nothing but a detriment to my progress. My goal in this is to spar. The places I've looked at have sparring when you feel you are ready, and I truly look forward to that challenge of going against someone. It's those times when you find out what you're made of and I can't wait. If I give it a shot and realize I hate it...at least I tried and won't have to wonder "what if?"
So there it is...my new adventure for this year. Quit wishing for things to be different. Quit wondering "what if?" Stop feeling sorry for yourself if something doesn't work out. Take a chance and feel no regrets if it's something you truly want to pursue. And if you missed it the first time, here it is again ->
"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit, it's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward...how much you can take, and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done! Now, if you know what you're worth, then go out and get what you're worth...but you gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that and that ain't you! You're better than that!" - from "Rocky Balboa".