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 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 moreI’m a Dumb Dumb
Samantha Schell BJJ, Overcoming Adversity, Perseverance, self confidence, Stress bjj, injury, knee, ouch, pain, pain management 4
Me to me every day: “It is a privilege to get older. Life is full of wonderful things. I am enjoying reaching every new era in my life.” My knees: “Settle the fuck down. You’re in your 30’s. The right knee is hanging on by a thread and swelling day by day.” I just turned […]
Read moreDo Not Mistake Kindness for Weakness
The world is so full of negativity, and terrible things happening everywhere in places far and wide, that we should all welcome when there exists a person in our life who goes above and beyond for others, a ray of light in ever-dimming universe. This is something I, myself have tried to work on over […]
Read moreI Hope the Angels Know What They Have
I can’t believe I wrote a post a few weeks ago lamenting my age lines and the deterioration of my body, when it’s such a privilege to grow old enough to see those withered lines looking back at me in the mirror. The longer we live, the more we experience the loss of loved ones […]
Read moreNot Good Enough
Samantha Schell Anxiety, BJJ, Competing, Positivity, self confidence bjj, competing, Competition, confidence, Jiu Jitsu 1
Why is it that sometimes we always feel that nothing we do in life will ever be good enough, and we always have these unattainable standards to hold ourselves to? It seems that we can accomplish so much in life, but unless we are always reaching that #1 spot, or best of the best, it […]
Read moreGiving Them Their Shine
Samantha Schell Anxiety, BJJ, Competing, Family, Friendship, love, self confidence Anxiety, bjj, Competition, ego, family, friendship, jiu jitus, love, relationships, work
Is my partner my biggest advocate, confidante, cheerleader, supporter? Or secretly, a hater lurking in the shadows? By this I mean are they truly rooting for me when I am excelling in things, even when they themselves are coming up short, which let’s be honest, can be quite the blow to anyone’s ego. Watching those around […]
Read moreTrue Colors
Samantha Schell BJJ, Perseverance, Positivity authenticity, bjj, honesty, Jiu Jitsu, positivity, true self
Sometimes it’s so hard to sit back and watch things take place when you so badly want to step in and inform people that the situation taking place is not a good one, nor a healthy one, but no there is no possible way for you to not end up looking bitter in this scenario. […]
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