chris

Life has its ups and downs.

Once in a while we all go through something tough. That could be a death of a loved one, sickness, injury, divorce…Whatever.

And sometimes that can lead to a dark place.

A place of pain and heartache.

There are instances when people get to such a dark place in their lives that they never bounce back. They’re so devastated that they don’t ever try to get back to being themselves.

I empathize with that.

I get how a painful situation can push people to the point of no return.

However, it doesn’t have to be that way.

Of course there is a period where we need to be upset and grieve. That’s part of being human.

But there comes a point in every situation where we have to make a decision.

We get to a point where time has passed and we must decide on whether we will continue down a dark road of depression, and never really accept what has happened, or we can choose otherwise.

We can choose to learn from our situation, and make the best of what we have.

That’s the beauty of being human. We are given the power of choice.

And when we make choices that put us in a better place mentally, physically and spiritually we tend to overcome ANY obstacle that comes our way.

Let’s take a look at former Rutgers football player, Eric LeGrand for example.

If you don’t know Eric’s story, he was a college football player who had a bright future ahead of him. During a game vs. Army in 2010, Eric encountered a big hit while making a tackle on a kickoff and fractured several vertebrae in his cervical spine which left him paralyzed from the neck down.

20 years old with tremendous ability and a bright future ahead, no longer has the use of his arms and legs. The doctors told his mother that he will never breathe again on his own.

Eric isn’t only now breathing on his own, but he is making more and more progress every day on his quest to walk again. He is now a motivational speaker and even won the ESPY Award for Perseverance in 2012 and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this year as only the third recipient ever of the Warrior Award.

This is someone who could have given up. Someone who could have said “why me” and really who would have blamed him? He could have chosen to not go through with therapy and let his injury get the best of him.

But he didn’t.

Eric LeGrand MADE A CHOICE to devote his life to walking again on his own, and inspire millions of people around the world in the process.

The moment that Eric woke up in the hospital and looked at his mother, he mouthed the words “I’ll be back”.

He knew that this would not be the end of the road for him.

When you talk to people he knows, hear him speak or look at his social media, you’ll see that he is one of the most positive people in the world. He is always smiling and speaks of his injury as a blessing, because it has given him the platform to help others.

I tell you this story to not only inspire you, but to share with you one of Eric’s sayings that I always turn to when I go through a difficult point in my own life.

And that is, “compared to what”.

Eric says when he is in pain or frustrated with the repercussions of his injury he says to himself “compared to what”.  He says he looks at difficult times that others are going through around the world, and realizes that no matter how bad you have it, someone else out there is going through something worse than what you are. He mentions people that don’t have a home and says that at least he has a roof over his head and a family who loves him.

Considering the severity of Eric’s situation, it gives me chills to know that he has the ability to look at his circumstances in that regard.

Eric’s story helps me look at the things I have gone through and realize that other people are out there suffering. That doesn’t mean that your situation should be overlooked by any means. It means that we need to accept our problems for what they are, learn from them, make the best of them, and move forward, because we aren’t alone.

Work on what you are going through, instead of being a victim of it.

No matter how bad or how painful a situation may be, ask yourself “compared to what” because someone out there right now is going through something that may be even more difficult.

When we start to look at life through this lens we realize that we can get through it, and we will get through it.

If we choose to.

I type this article with tears in my eyes. Not due to the unimaginable fear, pain and worry someone must face when suffering an injury of that magnitude. But due to the inspiration he has given me and millions of people around the world.

For being strong enough to play the hand he was dealt without pessimism and show tremendous amounts of courage.

I hope that you can use Eric’s story to help you through whatever it is that you are going through. Because although you may feel like you can no longer go on, just ask yourself “compared to what” and remember Eric LeGrand’s story.

Put forth the effort and mindset it takes to move forward with your life.

Remember that pain is part of life. At one point or another you will feel the inevitable pain. However SUFFERING is a choice.

Learn from your pain and grow through life, but refuse to suffer.

If there is anything I can do to help in any way, please feel free to comment below.

Thanks for reading, guys.

Love him or hate him, it’s safe to say that Floyd Mayweather Jr. is one of the greatest boxers of our time, if not ever.

You may not agree with his antics, or his actions outside of the ring. You may not even agree with his fighting style because let’s face it, his fights aren’t what you would necessarily call exciting.

But one thing that is undeniable is he is now 50-0. Fifty fights and zero losses. I don’t care what any of his critics say, that is pretty damn impressive.

After watching his recent fight with Conor McGregor, I noticed a few things about Floyd. Again I can’t say that I am a fan of his, however his skill is unquestionable and there are some valuable lessons to be learned here.

Lesson # 1

To be great, self belief is necessary.

I know what you’re thinking, he is one cocky son of a bitch. Call it what you like, there is no denying that Floyd Mayweather has more belief in himself than any other current fighter.

In order to get to 50-0 and be in the conversation about being one of the best of all time, Floyd has never showed any doubt in himself.

If you want to achieve greatness in your life, you need to have strong belief that you can achieve anything. No you don’t have to talk trash the way Floyd does when he’s trying to sell a fight, and you don’t need to put others down. But you do have to have a sense of confidence about yourself if you’re ever going to reach a level of greatness.

Michael Jordan, Steve Jobbs, Muhammad Ali… They all believed in themselves and in their mission. Without the belief that they had in themselves I highly doubt these men would have ever accomplished what they had .

Lesson # 2

To achieve greatness you must have an unrelenting work ethic.

Floyd Mayweather spends hours and hours mastering his craft. Putting in this type of work certainly does not come easy. He’s human, so there are days that he’s been tired, sore or just having a bad fucking day. But for twenty years the guy has put in the work, regardless of his circumstances.

His motto is “hard work and dedication” and that has helped lead to 50 victories. His conditioning has been second to none for the last twenty years, which is a direct reflection of his work ethic.

If you want to get to the next level and achieve greatness in your life, then you can’t be afraid of hard work.

Passion for what you do isn’t good enough. You have to master your craft, by putting in hours and hours of hard, gritty work.

There is a price to be paid for greatness, and the check is written with blood and sweat.

Lesson # 3

To achieve greatness, you must have a singular focus.

Floyd Mayweather is a boxer. He has mastered the art of boxing at such a high level that he has barely been in danger in fifty fights.

Throughout his career, Floyd did not say he wanted to also be the best actor of all time, or the best rap artist.

He boxed, and focused solely on that.

We often get distracted in what it is we want to do. I have come across many people who one day want to be a lawyer, then the next week want to be a cop, then an entrepreneur.

Fast forward 5 years and these people are still having the same conversations. Still unsure what it is they want to do with their lives. If they would have just made a decision and went all in then there’s a good chance that they would have gotten to the next level.

You want to start a business? Go all in!

You want to lose 50 lbs? Go all in!

If you say you’re going to lose 50 lbs, but also want to gain 30 lbs. of muscle, and also want to run a marathon, how the hell are you ever going to get anywhere?

Just DECIDE on what it is you want and then never look back. Greatness is never achieved through multitasking.

For more on this topic I HIGHLY recommend the book “The One Thing” by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan.

People who try to do too many unrelated things will never achieve the level of greatness that Floyd Mayweather has. Forget about the money and fame, that’s not what I’m talking about.

I am talking about the kind of greatness it takes to achieve fifty professional victories and zero losses.

 I’m talking about the drive to train everyday at 3 AM.

If Floyd focused on more than becoming the greatest boxer ever, he would have been mediocre.

Don’t waste your time trying to do too many things. Pick the one thing that you want to do and become fucking great at it.

Put in those late nights and early mornings and achieve what those who are unwilling will not.

The only way to get to the highest level possible is to focus on YOUR one thing.

The jack of all trades and master of none lives a life of mediocrity. Don’t settle for being basic. Focus and achieve the level of greatness in which you are capable.

Instead of arguing over the things you disagree with about Floyd Mayweather, learn from what he has done right. Learn from the things that have gotten him into the conversation of being the greatest of all time and one of the few athletes that has earned over one BILLION dollars over the course of his career.

You don’t get to that level without the belief, work ethic and singular focus that Floyd Mayweather has shown over the years. Understand that, and start to apply these values into your own life.

I guarantee that if you do it long enough, you will be in a better place in one year from now.

Give it a shot and go be fucking great.