Who's Got Your Back

"It's hard to be humble, when you're as great as I am."

"It's not bragging when you can back it up."

"I hated every minute of training, but I said, 'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.'"

When you hear these quotes... You know who's saying them.... RIGHT?!

Well if you don't... lemme clue you in. Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. AKA Muhammad Ali.

Yeah that guy.

You read them, and say "Damn that kid had some balls."

Yes, he did. (Clearly.) The man renamed himself because he didn't want his "slave name" (that's right) , chose to not go to War (which stripped him of his titles), and was a Spoken Word Poet who did not have his Reps speak for him (cause he damn well knew how to speak for himself.)

Whoa!

And I haven't even spoke of his athletics... this was who this man was. Strong, in and out of the ring.

I don't read his quotes and only think "Damn that man had some balls." I read them and think "Damn that man had all the self respect."

Think about this... a boxer... is an single person in a ring.

Is there a team outside of it, sure, but when it comes down to it and the bell rings... where's the team? OHHHHHH they're outside the ring.

In that ring (while people are screaming at you, the audience is cheering and yelling, your "people" are yelling at you from outside the rope) who's got your back?

We see a lot of people cause a scene... we see a lot of people talk a lot of talk... and we definitely see people who love some good ole smoke and mirrors (entrance music and entourage anyone?)... But what happens when you ACTUALLY see someone who can back it up?

In life... the biggest mistake you can make is either:

A. Need the team to hold you up.

B. Be in the ring and not have your own back.

C. Prep for the expected.

D. All of the above.

When you train for anything (Right now I'm gonna call my ring LIFE) you can't always count on the team (people got their own ring), you must know in your mind you've got you're own back (if you don't... we'll talk about that later... oh wait we're talking about that now)... and you're definitely not prepping for the expected... that's too easy. You gotta train for the unexpected. (Cause that's how life works.)

Ok... Lauren I'm not a boxer... And I don't fight... what's this got to do with me?

It has everything to do with you. My ring is called LIFE.

And P.S. so is yours!

Ever see any athlete? How they live? How they train?

Do you think you become a champion by not putting in the hard work? By not training... by not taking care of yourself and keeping your mind right. And yes... by not having the right team who holds you accountable?

You're here in this life (your ring), you are the boxer. And everyday, every second YOU are training for the unexpected.

You read, meditate, take care of yourself, have been knocked down over and over (Japanese Proverb says "Fall down seven times, stand up eight."), sleep well, treat people right, work hard, handle your shit... act like a good human being... And then BAMN!!!! You get hit out of no where.... what do you do?

What happens in your ring????

Well I can tell you what happens in mine. I don't cry and wonder what I'm gonna do... I don't question whether or not I can HANDLE IT! (didn't I just say above you get knocked down over and over again??).. . and I definitely don't look at the person who hit me and ask them with tears in my eyes "why did you do that?" (You really gonna go to your attacker/abuser/competitor for help?)

I am a FUCKING world class CHAMPION! I train for this moment, this second, this round every day of my life. And when I find my face on the ground... what do I do?

Other words by Ali "Inside of a ring or out, ain't nothing wrong with going down. It's staying down that's wrong."

Get knocked down... stand back up.

And then you end it... like this.

"I am gonna show you how great I am."(Ali)

And then you do.

With Class, with Self-Resect, and with alllllll the Confidence you've earned because you knew off the top how this would end. (Because your mind doesn't question it... and anyone who does... they ain't on the team.)

You got your back, you train for your moment, and when life hits... You handle it like the BOSS you are.

Your "MINDSET" is so strong you do not falter. You do not question... And your strength deep within tells you "You got this."

Cause YOU DO GOT THIS!

You know that right?

In fact I KNOW you got this... I just need you to know YOU got this.

This is not Ali... but Rocky did say it best:

"Let me tell you something. You already know the world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place. And I don't care how tough you are. It will beat you to your knees. And keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done."

Thank you Mr Balboa.

He's right. Winning your life, winning your round, winning takes KNOWING.

Knowing you got this, your team knows you got this, you've trained for this... and you got your own back.

And you my friend... You are WINNING.

I know I am. 🙃

All my love to you all,

P.s. The champ is here 😉🥊