On the Ropes

On the Ropes

There are just days like this.  For whatever reason, everything seems to happen that can shake ones confidence.  The wind is in your face, the heat beats down on you, your stomach rebels, fatigue is never ending, the brain won’t cooperate or the legs burn. The list goes on but there are times that make you wonder why are you doing this.  How on earth did you ever have success or will you ever experience success again.  There are just days like that.  Today was my day like this.  I was like a boxer on the ropes. Nothing I did could avoid the punches coming my way.  It made me really think, in boxing there really is only one winner. There isn’t second place or fourth place, so what keeps one in the ring when you are on the ropes?  There isn’t anyone whispering in your ear, “ it’s going to get better” or “ you can do this” or “ you are the best”, so why stay in the ring? 

I decided that at some point this has to be an inside job.  It has to be more than winning to want to continue to try to win. It has to be about knowing that around the proverbial corner the lesson in learned.  The vantage point will shed light on the next lesson.  The effort has to be about more that everyone else getting it because there are times that I won’t even get it.

Experience has shown me though, that right around the next corner can be the opening.   In the next minute the winds may change or the body will come around – or it won’t.  In either case, I better be doing it because I love it. It has to have more meaning that just getting the ride in or doing the race done.  It has to remind me that I am stronger than I think I am.  It has to remind me that I don’t quit or give up.  It has to be an experience I can fall back on when I am on the ropes in other areas of my life.  So for now – I’m still in the ring.

 And yes this is me with blond hair, in my second degree black belt test.