MONDAY MINDSET: ADVERSITY

WEEK OF 8/5/24

 

“Adversity introduces you to yourself.”

That is a quote I heard many years ago, when I was just getting off the ground as an amateur fighter.  For some reason, it resonated with me, and became a core tenet of my approach to training and dealing with obstacles in my life.

I strongly believe that one of our missions in life is to discover who we are — or, perhaps, to uncover who we are. So, what kind of person are you?  Do you rise up to challenges?  Do you find excuses and try to escape?  Do you drag your feet and take no action?

Most people, when put in a tough spot, don’t rise to the occasion as they’d hoped.  It’s normal.  We get overwhelmed, and we don’t necessarily know how to react or respond.  

But over time, if we habitually put ourselves in challenging circumstances, we discover that deep down we have a lot of power to choose how we react, and can shape our world accordingly.  

One of the greatest things about the training room is that you can be pushed to your absolute limits, and yet walk out the door afterwards on your own two legs.  You can explore your limits without breaking them.  You can discover, shape, or uncover who you are.

What greater confidence can you have than knowing exactly who you are, for better or for worse?  

When you meet high level combat sports athletes, they don’t act or behave how you’d imagine.  There’s no bravado, bragging, or ostentation.  They are just (for the most part) calm, collected, normal people, confident in their skin and in knowing who they are.

While I wouldn’t say I now seek out adversity, as that could be foolish, I do embrace it when it comes.  I see challenges as opportunities to grow, learn, and discover more about myself.

For all of the gifts that training has given me, this is probably my most valued.  An optimistic perspective towards adversity.

I hope that you, in your training, discover the same.