Bumps, bruises and breakthrough

Some of you had a painful 2013. It was filled with challenges that left you broken and belittled. You simply want to forget the past so you get hopeful about the future. You plan for 2014 to be better but how will it be? What is your plan?

Here is where we go wrong. People like peace and comfort; so we chase it. We become fair weather friends and family to our loved ones, only getting in their corners when things are great. But it's through the rough times is when our character is tested. We build an entire life around "easy" and convenient when we're young only to come into ourselves later in life to realize we have a life we hate all because we chose the safe route. The safe route guarantees mediocrity but tough route opens doors to greatness! The question then becomes, how do we fix it? How do we begin to live a life we are happy with? How do we live a life that compliments who we've matured into becoming? How do we live a life of passion? I mean, we have obligations to family, children, bills, careers, etc. How do we fix it? It requires standing out, not fitting in.

We adore successful celebrities but when given the shot at this success, we avoid travelling the road that many of these people HAD TO travel. If you didn't know, most people who have a significant breakthrough in their lives had to go through major tests. Everything they worked hard for and believed came into question. They failed, foreclosed, divorced... they got evicted, went bankrupted and out of business. The difference between them and you is, they continued fighting.

Some people run around talking about how strong they are but they've never tested their strength. They just have hot air. The only way to test your strength is to have heavy weight place on your chest. This is when you learn what you're made of, not by words. You'd be surprised how close your breakthrough is. All you have to do is make minor adjustments to get that weight off of your chest. Some of us have been given weight we have no idea how to lift.

I remember when I used to box, my trainer taught me a valuable skill that I took into my life. He said never panic when you see a punch coming at you, just make a small adjustment to the left or right and the other fighter will miss. It's called "slipping". He explained that most untrained fighters panic when they see a punch coming. They start flailing their arms, ducking and using much more energy than it takes to get out of the way. It doesn't take much to make someone miss but it takes more to lift. You simply need to know what energy to use in each situation. But even if you get hit, you learn from every punch.

As you march into 2014 you don't want to be a weak flailer. Your life me be undergoing reconstruction. It may be getting tested. It may be building. It may be taking a shift but don't panic. I went through enormous setbacks and challenges. I learned valuable lessons about some of the closest people to me. But when you're "adjusting" you must accept that sometimes you must slip those people who are aiming to hit you. You're going to have to let some people go.... for good! You're going to have to embrace the criticism from haters (if you're wise, you will see that they make you better). You're going to have find your strength and lift.

Don't make 2014 another year of just talking. Take those steps and make those adjustments or you'll find yourself going through another year taking more hits.


-Your Practical Professor ;)