winning hurts. not the actually winning, but the process. unless it’s ferret legging, then the winning and the process hurts. but for the most part, people don’t win because it hurts.
you will get knocked down on your way to success. is the goal you are pursuing worth getting back up? is it worth the risk of getting knocked down again? and possibly again? i already channel too much rocky balboa, so i’ll spare you the reference to mickey begging rocky to stay down as he lay prostrate on the mat (oh i guess i didn’t spare you at all). if you want the heavyweight title, you’re gonna get knocked down. if you wanna be debt free, the dragon’s gonna knock you down – harder than apollo creed.
henry ford said, “those who never make mistakes work for those of us who do.” this is true, because fear is a powerful force. risk may lead to mistakes, getting knocked down, failure, embarrassment, humiliation, ostracization, loss of income, loss of spouse, public stoning, tar and feathering, forced mall walking in your underwear or any other number of rational or irrational fears to which we respond. if we avoid risk, we avoid mistakes. if we avoid mistakes, we avoid pain. but if we avoid pain, we avoid success. we avoid reaching our goals. maybe we even avoid our very purpose.
b.a. baracus (not mr. t. but the actual character – go ahead and say “i pity the fool” in your best mr. t voice as a warm up before you read what he said) once explained, “you got to accept death.” once you accept the possibility of death, there’s really nothing plausible anyone can do to you that is worse.
i have one life on this earth. i’m not spending it in fear. i’m not spending it in chains. liberation breeds liberation. don’t be afraid to get knocked down. if it is worth it, get up. if it is life giving, get up. if it is about breaking chains, get up. and keep getting up.
