Hey Look Ma, I Made It

Today is my birthday, and oh boy am I hanging onto these 20s. These past few years I have pushed myself to accomplish quite a bit, and I think it’s time I start to give myself some credit for it. I tend to have a nasty habit of downplaying my achievements, either by crediting those around me for my successes or attributing much of it to luck, but you know what, I busted my ass to achieve the things I have done in this life. While it is true that the people and team I have surrounded myself with have helped to propel me to achieve some pretty outstanding accomplishments, ultimately it came down to my willpower, tenacity, and stubbornness to persevere. There are many times that we inhibit ourselves by surrounding ourselves with toxicity and people who would hinder us and hold us back because they themselves are limiting their own potential and it pains them to see their peers succeed without them. Rather than viewing it as leaving them behind, we should encourage one another to reach our greatest potential as it will only enhance our surroundings and make the world a better place overall. As much as I hope to succeed and accomplish greatness, I hope that the kids in my life achieve more than I ever could have imagined and far surpass me in accolades and accomplishments. I don’t ever want to dull someone else’s sparkle in order to shine brighter, but instead, I want all of us to create such an effervescent glow it blinds anyone daring to eclipse our shine. A new decade is upon us and it is time we start not only pushing past boundaries, but leaping over them like a gazelle in heat. Fuck your obstacles. We out here crushing it like the Kansas City Chiefs.

I told myself I would win the atom weight title and I did. I spoke into existence the confidence I had been lacking and walked with my head held high from start to finish. Although now that I am battling some sort of illness, my head is dangling pretty low as copious amounts of sputum are surging through my lungs and chest with every singe cough, but I digress. Definitely not the best way to spend a birthday but it could always be worse and for that I am thankful (last year I was concussed and a few years before that had blown out my ACL). It saddens me to see so many people that I care about content with mediocrity. Whether we don’t push ourselves out of fear of failure or due to the pressures that coincide with going above and beyond or from the outside pressure of the toxic people in our lives who don’t want to see us do better than they did and maybe leave them behind, then we are only limiting ourselves. I personally, do not understand the type of individual, especially a family member, who would purposefully inhibit someone they care about from achieving something great just to placate their own insecurities. Is life really that miserable for you that it pains you to see someone succeed in areas in which you faltered or put little to no effort in? Sometimes we need to put ourselves first without worrying about hurting the feelings of those who didn’t take the time to invest in themselves when they had the chance.

I hope everyone reading this has the strength to advocate for themselves. You are fully aware and capable of knowing exactly what you earn and deserve in this life. We are ultimately given one chance to live our lives in the way in which we see fit, so why waste it trying to make sure we adhere to others whims and coddle everyone else’s feelings but our own? Sometimes, it benefits us to move far away from the people and things that are holding us back in the pursuit of happiness and greatness for a lifetime ahead. If you find yourself constantly having to downplay the things you do in order to nullify those around you, then you need to surround yourself with a more positive clique. No one wants to hear that their family is toxic and detrimental, but sometimes the worst thing we can do is keep ourselves around these people out of a blind loyalty that blood is thicker than water. Well, the motto of our gym’s affiliation is “not all family is blood” and that couldn’t be more true. I think the people we choose to be around speaks volumes versus those we stay around out of convenience or comfort. Only positive influence from here on out and anyone dripping with negativity can kick rocks.

I will no longer be made to feel as if I don’t deserve everything I have worked so incredibly hard for. The effort, dedication, discipline, and sacrifices have made me a better competitor, fighter, athlete, and person. The trials and tribulations have tested every ounce of my spirit and resolve, but I never crumbled under the pressure of it all. Fall down 9 times and stand up 10 and no matter what inner turmoils I may be battling, I always stood firm in persevering through the obstacles and tribulations that dared to threaten my path to success. I know many believe that they are incapable of striving past the hardships or buckling down to get certain things done, but deep down in my heart I believe that every single one of us can accomplish more than we ever dreamed of if we accept that every path we take will be difficult and a hard journey, but should we bite down and keep striving forward, our grit and determination will see us through. While warming up at the arena of my past fight, one of the earlier fighters walked back in after suffering a defeat due to a large amount of body kicks and told his coach “I wasn’t prepared for that.” I told my striking coach right there and then that he would never hear me say that. I refuse to be under prepared or outworked and in every single camp we will make sure I am trained my hardest to be ready for anything my opponent brings to the table. Failure to prepare means you are preparing to fail and that type of attitude and behavior won’t ever breed a champion.

It’s crazy to look back and see something you have dreamed of for so long come to fruition. I won’t pretend it has been an easy journey, but I also won’t embellish the toughness of it either. While it has been one of the most physically arduous tasks I have ever set my heart on, I still fully believe that parenting, especially in an outside role, is exponentially more difficult and tough on the mind and spirit. But it is also as equally rewarding. I am very fortunate to have had the mental willpower and fortitude to surround myself with likeminded people and those who help celebrate with me in my journey rather than be overshadowed by jealousy or envy. We are strong enough together to help lift each other up and though I finally credit myself with having obtained these accolades and achievements, I would be a fool to not think my team and my family that I am surrounded by haven’t helped me reach this level both physically and mentally. On days when I was down on myself they helped pull me back from the dregs of despair and instill in me the confidence that was always there deep within and just waiting to flourish. My two main coaches, Josh Robinson and John Schell will always have my utmost respect and gratitude and I love both of them more than I could possibly detail in writing, but all of my other coaches, friends, teammates, and family are of no less an integral part in helping me obtain all that I have done. These 29 years have been incredible and I can’t wait to see what else I can accomplish with ever trip around the sun. Happy birthday to me!