When did we stop caring so much about our fellow man? We went from a society of “it takes a village,” to “every many for themselves.” A little bit of common courtesy can go a long way. We all want to envision ourselves as the person who can remain devoutly independent, and doesn’t need anyone […]
Read moreHot & Fresh Out the Kitchen
Samantha Schell Anxiety, BJJ, Perseverance, self confidence, Teaching accountability, assault, consequences, crime, criminals, hubris, morals, responsibility, sexual assault 8
At what point do people looks past the money, the power, and the accolades in order to hold people accountable? Corruption exists everywhere, and boy, can it be daunting to be the sole person trying to point out that someone needs to be held liable for their actions. It’s unpopular to deviate from the crowd, […]
Read moreIf You’re Gonna Be Dumb, You Gotta Be Tough
It’s no secret that my knees are deteriorated far beyond what is deemed acceptable for day to day life, let alone for competition purposes. You can hear the clickety-clacking and gravel crunching from clear across the room, you can feel the bones grinding and overlapping with every movement, and you can see the grimace on […]
Read moreComparison is the Thief of All Joy
Samantha Schell BJJ, mental health, Overcoming Adversity, Positivity, self confidence achievements, comparing, comparison, happiness, joy, mental health, post partum, rankings
We all do it, every single one of us. It’s almost like this type of human nature is ingrained in our brains where we have to see how we “measure up” in comparison with our peers. We tell ourselves that it doesn’t matter and that all of us have different journey’s and all take different […]
Read morePer Aspera Ad Astra
Samantha Schell BJJ, Family, Friendship, love, Overcoming Adversity, Perseverance caring, empathy, feelings, friendship, quit, struggles
The other evening, I posted a somewhat cryptic Facebook status about not owning a Jiu Jitsu gym if you’re an empath, because your heart will break every time that someone leaves. I was just in my feelings temporarily, not really thinking about one specific instance, and decided to vent online (I don’t know why, is […]
Read moreCircling The Drain
Samantha Schell Anxiety, BJJ, Overcoming Adversity Anxiety, bjj, Depression, injury, Jiu Jitsu, mental health
One thing happens, then another, and then another. Slowly, things begin piling up, and all of a sudden you’re in a downward spiral that you can’t seem to control. The negative experiences seem to surmount, which lead to negative thinking, which then leads to feelings of discouragement, which then lead to isolation, which ultimately just […]
Read moreThe More I Learn, the Less I Know
Samantha Schell BJJ, Perseverance, Positivity bjj, bjj lineage, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Jiu Jitsu, knowledge 7
I have never, in my 11 years of Jiu Jitsu, been surrounded by such a plethora of upper belts with a vast extensive subset of knowledge. Even as a black belt, I stayed at an Air B&B this past weekend, and was still the 3rd lowest rank in attendance. While there was one brown belt […]
Read moreThe Butterfly Effect
Samantha Schell Adaptation, BJJ, Family, Friendship, love actions, bjj, butterfly effect, choices, decisions, relationships 5
Do you ever stop and think about how one, seemingly insignificant moment in your life’s history, altered the course of your trajectory and led you to where you are, right now, at this very second of you reading this article? One tiny, seemingly minute part of your life, like a butterfly flapping its wings a […]
Read moreSisterhood
Samantha Schell BJJ, Friendship, Laughter, love friends, friendships, girl group, love, sisterhood, soulmates
I remember back in my teen years, I would watch shows like ‘Girlfriends’ and ‘Sex and the City’ and think about how powerful it was to have such a strong bond with other women, and build an incredible relationship with them. I recall longing and hoping that one day, as an established adult, I would […]
Read moreBroken Heart in Martial Arts
Samantha Schell BJJ, mental health, Overcoming Adversity academy, dojo, gym, gym owner, Jiu Jitsu, small business owner 10
My feelings as they pertain to Jiu Jitsu are going to vary slightly from the patron who attends these schools being that I am coming from the perspective of a gym owner. This is my full-time job, and rather than working a 9-5 all day and then coming to Jiu Jitsu to blow off steam, […]
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