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intoodeep25
07-28-15, 8:15 pm
It hit me like a ton of bricks the other day. I was looking around my garage gym, pictures of lifters littered the walls. Lifters who I have immense respect for and who have accomplished great things that I have not. Some animal athletes, some not. I wondered to myself why I had these other lifters on my wall. While they deserve all the recognition and respect in the world, do they have my pictures in their gym? No. Like a gorilla in a zoo I want to be the attraction, not the spectator. The lion, not the lamb. I took the pictures down and reclaimed the space between those four walls as my own. Not as a sign of disrespect to those great men, but as a declaration to myself. A declaration to continue to bust it day in and day out and to be the very best me that I can be. I took the pictures down to claim that space as my own and as a vow to start seeing myself as something to admire and respect. To the rest of the world I am a nobody as a lifter, as I should be. To myself, its time to view things differently. Its time to expect more out of myself. Its easy to get into a rut and go through the motions. No more. My flag has been planted. How do you see yourself? Who do you think you are? Are you ok with being the spectator? Or are you hungry and foaming at the mouth for more? The answer to that question means everything.

GunRock
07-28-15, 11:38 pm
It hit me like a ton of bricks the other day. I was looking around my garage gym, pictures of lifters littered the walls. Lifters who I have immense respect for and who have accomplished great things that I have not. Some animal athletes, some not. I wondered to myself why I had these other lifters on my wall. While they deserve all the recognition and respect in the world, do they have my pictures in their gym? No. Like a gorilla in a zoo I want to be the attraction, not the spectator. The lion, not the lamb. I took the pictures down and reclaimed the space between those four walls as my own. Not as a sign of disrespect to those great men, but as a declaration to myself. A declaration to continue to bust it day in and day out and to be the very best me that I can be. I took the pictures down to claim that space as my own and as a vow to start seeing myself as something to admire and respect. To the rest of the world I am a nobody as a lifter, as I should be. To myself, its time to view things differently. Its time to expect more out of myself. Its easy to get into a rut and go through the motions. No more. My flag has been planted. How do you see yourself? Who do you think you are? Are you ok with being the spectator? Or are you hungry and foaming at the mouth for more? The answer to that question means everything.

When I was fighting, I was fortunate enough to corner Kurt Haslett when he fought Rick Roufus (brother to Duke, Anthony Pettis' MMA coach). One thing our coach kept repeating was that you'll never be able to stand in the same ring with your idols if you show them too much respect. If you put them on too high a pedestal, you'll never equal them because no matter how high you go, they'll always be above you in your eyes.

Looks like you just discovered that for yourself.

I'm reading "Black Prince: Muscle vs Hustle the story of Robby Robinson" and I'm struck by how he's always describing how he never dreamed that as a poor boy from the South that he'd be on the same stage as Arnold, Franco, Ken Waller and the others. How one teacher flat out told him in front of the whole class that he'd never be on the cover of a muscle magazine. That's the same thing you hear from great men and women across many fields of human endeavor. So I applaud your decision to start expecting more from yourself. That's the seed of greatness. Effort is what waters is. Opportunity is the soil.

Pete Rubish
07-29-15, 3:13 pm
Very true! While it's okay to admire others, you have to respect yourself and what you're capable of too.

Jay Nera
10-31-15, 10:36 pm
Its a gift to have people who inspire you. And we should all aspire to inspire.