Going Hard!!!!

Entering the Ring: 

Two months ago, I signed up for boxing...  Not sure where I got the fascination for the sport from, but I’ve always been very interested in it.  Here’s a little secret though, it has been a childhood dream of mine to learn how to box since I was a teenager.  

  

You see, back in the day, “Girls Didn’t Box,” it wasn’t perceived as being lady like… So tell me something, how else were we supposed to defend ourselves if we didn’t learn something about “throwing our hands” per say?  Just a little something to think about…

Now I’ve never wanted to compete or fight professionally, I just wanted to learn the art of boxing and pick up a few self defense moves along the way; believe it or not, I got picked on and bullied as a teen…  Honestly speaking, I think we all did at some point or another.

The Rounds:

So I began working out at Title Boxing Club in Johns Creek…  

I’m ready to go, upbeat and smiling!!!  Then it hits me…   How am I going to manage this childhood dream and deal with these old injuries of mine?  What have I gotten myself into?  I’m thinking…  First obstacle!!!

Now here come the challenges…  A week or so after starting, I strained my lower back and had to stop for a few weeks to recover.  I think I had a little too much excitement going on and was pushing myself a bit much….  Besides, anyone that knows me know that “I always put my all into whatever it is that I’m doing ” and this was no different.

Anyhow, here’s the blessing that came out of that challenge.  Little did I know, one of the trainers (Sensei Dennis Palmer), that I’d taken a few classes with is a massage therapist and sports trainer.  I was like YES, Thank You GOD!!  Not only was he able to assist me with the healing process, but he’s been very instrumental in getting me back on course, taking into consideration my old injuries and ensuring that I maximize each workout session.

 Man talk about divine order… What started out as a setback has become a “set-up” for me!  I’ve been back at it working with all the trainers and going harder than ever!  I go at my own pace and make the necessary adjustments during the workout session, but I keep my feet moving and my hands punching (LOL).

 Bell Ringing:

The fact of life is, “You win some and you lose some.”  What I mean by this statement is you have your successes, setbacks and failures.  The key is to celebrate your successes, take advantage of your setbacks, learn from your failures and take the mistakes in the failures and keep it moving.

You have to do it for yourself…..  GOING HARD and GIVING IT ALL YOU GOT is the Name of the Game…  Never Giving Up or Giving In Keeps You on the Course to WIN!!!  Winning at achieving YOUR DREAMS, GOALS, AND DESIRES!!  No Matter what the OBSTACLES are, Keep Going!  No Matter what CHALLENGES arise, Keep Going!  No Matter How Long it Takes, Keep Going!!  KEEP GOING AND “HIT IT HARD!”

I’d like to say a “HEART FELT, THANK YOU” to the Johns Creek “Title Boxing Club” Training Team:  Sensei Dennis, Rick, Denise, Matt G., Regina, Matt S., Diron, Ben, Eric, and Myron…  You all have been a great support system!!!

Inauguration Day and MLK Day, Yay!!!

   (Photo/Google Images: www.Forbes.com)

Today is a very special day for so many reasons…  We have President Barack Obama being sworn in for his second term as our First Afro-American President of the United States and we also celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

I’d like to say that one man saw the dream and spoke it into existence, though it tarried, here 50 years later, we as Americans are seeing the manifestation of the spoken word…  Talk about having faith and seeing the vision in the supernatural, yet speaking it into the here and now causing “the words” to become life…

As we celebrate another historic event with the inauguration of President Obama and honor the memories of Dr. King, I encourage us to pay special tribute to the past, acknowledging its effects both negative and positive on our present, all while contemplating the direction we desire to go as it relates to humanities future.

We as Americans have what it takes to solve the various problems that plague our communities and threatens a promising tomorrow for coming generations.  And the only way of truly solving these problems (in my opinion), will first begin with honestly respecting our cultural differences, knowing that these same dissimilarities also serve as the bases to understanding the commonalities we share as human beings...

We SHOULD Honor This Day, BUT, Genuinely Serve Every Day, Remembering We’re More Alike Than Different!!   So, as we enjoy the festivities of today serving others, let’s collectively plan consciously on how we will continue to serve on tomorrow and the day after…  Dr. King said, “What are you doing for others?”  And I say “What more can you do to serve others?”  Happy Inauguration Day and MLK Day!!! 

What To Do When....

It’s only the first week into the New Year and you’re experiencing challenges and set-backs on every turn?  It seems as if nothing is coming together or falling into place…  Look, it’s a New Year, time for new resolutions, yet it doesn’t appear to be that way.  Hummmm, what is going on???

Well, I guess you can tell that my New Year has been kind of bumpy to start.  Let’s see here, for starters, I had to pull a couple of projects that I’d been working on for months with this particular company, because there were too many “redo’s and undo’s,” then there’s the case of “dropped schedules” due to lack of interoffice communication on the part of the individuals who were handling the job.

“O” and there’s one more, I got chewed out over the phone by a young lady that misinterpreted something I said, talking it personal when I was merely using the example I’d mentioned as a comparison in order to explain the situation at hand more accurately, because it was obvious to me that my letter wasn’t clear nor concise enough to get the point across.

First Things First….

You take responsibility for your actions!!  That’s what I did. I examined my actions to make sure that I’d done all I could do within my realm (I.e. meeting deadlines, providing the necessary information at the right time and also communicating in a timely manner).  Once I took inventory of that, I made decisions based on the information I had available, and the next best course of action(s) to take, to keep me focused on the end results.  (I’m a doer who believes in getting things done in the spirit of excellence…  So, procuring solution orientated results is what motives me).

Interim… 

So many times, we allow challenges and set-backs to get us discouraged, giving up on the things that we want to do, or desire to be less known need to pursue…   We let the pressures of the moment, or things being said or done; throw us way off the path.  When this happens, we need to stop for a moment, take heed to what’s going on around us thereby paying careful attention to our emotions and actions…

Next….

 You Buckle Down and Dig In….  You can’t afford to allow the “mishaps of the moment, to mess up the momentum!”  You may have to go back to the drawing board, look at the plan of action again or review your approach.  But, know that it’s okay!  Maybe, just maybe these obstacles are putting you on a faster track to accomplishing your visions and dreams, ultimately fulfilling your destiny and life’s purpose…  So, what do you do when you come up against challenges???  You Face Them Head on Go… Go Get It!!!