“The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life”.
We all know this quote from the famous Rocky movie (1976. Yes, we are that old). We find it on the walls of locker rooms, in motivational videos, coaches have used it ad nauseam. Yet, no matter how many times I have heard it or seen it, every time it still grabs at something deep in me (my spirit I would guess) and it resonates.
The fact that life is tough and throws punches at each and every one of us cannot be argued. Sometimes you can see the punch coming and you can put your hands up in defense to soften the blow and sometimes you just have to brace yourself for the inevitable. Sometimes life plays dirty and sucker punches you. You know, that punch that surprises you and knocks the wind right out of you or brings you bleeding, to the ground.
That is life. Definitely.
What is also part of life is the resilience of the human spirit. I have come to realise that there are four words in this famous quote that deserves a lot more credit and attention. “If you let it”. These four words do something wonderful. It gives you back the power that life took away when it knocked the sense out of you. It can shift your mind from the victim-mentality to the victor-mentality. It can provide you with a little glimmer of hope when all you can see is darkness. Very motivational, I know. But I also know its not quiet that simple.
Working your way through any type of punch life throws at you is a process. An important one. Loss, mourning, grieving, healing, takes time and is difficult. And it is needed. If we are to take the lesson and the good from life’s punches we are to sit with the emotions, map them out, get comfortable with them, really feel them and then … accept them as part of ourselves and realise and embrace that they did not break us. They built us. Remember, "if you let it".
I’m going to end off with another one of my favourite quotes, because I do not have the words to say it any better. I do recommend that you read the book though and if a whole book feels a bit ambitious, do watch the movie then. Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.
“A friend took me to the most amazing place the other day. It's called the Augusteum. Octavian Augustus built it to house his remains. When the barbarians came, they trashed it along with everything else. It's one of the quietest, loneliest places in Rome. It feels like a precious wound, a heartbreak … I looked around at this place, at the chaos it has endured - the way it has been adapted, burned, pillaged, and found a way to build itself back up again. And I was reassured … Ruin is a gift. Ruin is the road to transformation.”
Amidst the pain, it might feel like the most unimaginable thing to do. But just for a second, entertain the notion. Grab on to hope. Embrace the human experience.
Hit close to home❤️