Motivation and Achievement

I watched Rocky Balboa again recently.  Yes, the series can be very cheesy but in particular the first and final film's of the series carry a very powerful message.  Below is a couple of scenes from the first Rocky film. It's a bit long but the important part is the speech Rocky gives in the last 2 minutes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8vhLxCc28s

There he is, the night before the biggest fight of his life and beating his rival, Apollo Creed isn't his main concern.  What really matters to him is proving that he is worth something, justifying to himself that his existence isn't for nothing, that he can rise above his past and the situations that he finds himself in and make something of himself.

In the final film in the series (Rocky Balboa) he then delivers the speech in the video below, to his son.  His son, feeling hard-done-by having to live in his father's shadow, blames him for all the problems and hardships in his life.  He hides behind that as the reason he isn't happy, the reason he isn't where or who he wants to be in life.  The response that Rocky gives is one of my favourite speeches, just watch it...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_Vg4uyYwEk

Life is tough, its a fact.  Yes, some people seem to have things easier than others but if you want to achieve something you have to dig down and work hard for it.  Sometimes it's just a case of taking hit after hit, surviving everything life throws at you.  Some people won't make it, they will give up and most likely blame everyone and everything but themselves for their failure.  The ones who don't, the people that face up to the challenges, that don't blame others but just keep on with dedication and persistence, they are the ones that achieve their goals, they succeed.

And as the first video shows, succeeding doesn't necessarily mean achieving the tasks that other people expect you to.  Success can only be defined by you.  What do YOU want to be?  Who do YOU want to be?  Know that, then do what you have to to achieve it.  People will tell you that you can't but don't let them define what you can and can't do.  Only you can do that, and at times even you will doubt it.

Work hard and keep working.

Here was my little workout for yesterday, keeping myself moving and getting the body working.

Tabata intervals (20 sec on, 10 sec off)

- Burpees (lateral jump over bar)

- Skipping

       x 2 minutes

- Bodyweight squats

- Pull up to press up

       x 2 minutes

- BB Overhead sit ups

- Over shoulder bridges

       x 2 minutes

Rest 2 minutes

x 4 rounds

Train hard, live happy

Bradbury