Champions aren’t made in the ring, they are merely recognized there. What you cheat on in the early light of morning will show up in the ring under the bright lights.
Joe Frazier
There are no short cuts to where you want to go. There is only the early morning light that offers you the opportunity to train and do what needs to be done. That all. Take it or leave it. Get up and dedicate yourself to something that will bring about your dreams, or sit and wait, and cheat by looking for the short cut.
But be careful. You don’t want to find yourself all dressed up, boxing gloves at the ready, in the middle of the ring, amongst the flashing lights, and a fierce opponent that will knock you out. Life is a fierce and tough opponent.
Under those bright lights that will put on display for all to see, there is nowhere to hide and nowhere to go. It is at that moment you’ll find out what you’re made of. At that moment all those quiet, unassuming, begrudging hard to get up mornings will come to your aid and help you fight so that you can realize your dreams. Without the work, you’re going to stand alone. Alone and naked. Naked and defeated.
Not that you’re guaranteed to win by working hard each and every day. There is no guarantee of anything in life but you’ll be better for it. Better because you’ll have no regrets. Better because no one can point at you and see how you tried cheating or just weren’t willing to do what was necessary.
There is no guarantee of anything but why not become a Champion. Why not take your place in the centre of the ring and be recognized for who you really are. Recognized for who you’ve always been, because the work you do doesn’t make you something, it reveals what was already there. You are like a marble statue in the hands of Michalangelo. He didn’t see the material as outside of his creation, quite the opposite. He insisted that the beautiful David was already hidden, he barely released him, by chipping away at the excess stone.
You need to chip away at your life as well. You need to grab each morning that presents itself to you and chase your dreams. Don’t cheat. Don’t cut corners and most of all, don’t ever give up.
Your time in the spotlight is coming. That day is absolutely inevitable. We spend a lot of time spreading the terrible things that happen all around us and we ignore, deem unimportant, and severely under report all of the wonderful things which we all take for granted. Good things are all around us, we just don’t shine a spotlight on them, and good things are coming your way too. Believe it. Don’t just wish for it. Act like you know it to be true.
What you do today will show up tomorrow, so don’t cheat your greatness, be and work like the person you deserve and were meant to be.
