I continually think about the inspirational scene in the movie Rocky 6. Rocky has a conversation with his adult son in which Rocky explains that somewhere along the way his son decided to let others put a finger in his face and tell him he was no good. Rock explained that nothing will hit harder than life. That life will drop you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it.

Rocky said it’s not about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. He explained that this is how winning is done. Rocky explained that looking around for someone to blame when things go wrong is what cowards do. The final thought to his son was, “until you start believing in yourself you’re not gonna have a life”.

The world is full of people who will expect our failure. It is full of people who have given up on many of their own hopes and dreams, and have settled for far less than their birthright. They have failed to unlock their incredible self, and have let others determine their value.

The advice he gave to his son is the same advice that I give to myself and anyone who reads this blog. It is up to you and I to either accept these voices from the so-called “realists”, in life, or to follow our hearts desire and true purpose.

I had a “realist” tell me just yesterday that I should not waste my time with a certain individual. He explained to me that this person had failed over and over again. He attempted to convince me that this time will be the same as any other time, and this person that I am investing in will fail again.

Dr phil taught that “the best predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour”. We all have a track record of success or failure in every area or aspect of our lives. These past outcomes weigh tremendously on our mind and influence what we believe as we move forward. Our ability to make changes is influence by these beliefs.

If we have made attempts before and failed, it is imperative that we continue to hold onto a hope, or a desire to improve that situation. It is imperative that we think to ourselves, “there must be a way”. Therefore we take the hit and keep moving.

When you feel like giving up. When you feel as though you were not meant to have the great things in life. When you feel that you are not much good, or that you are average. Remember this.

“The high soul climbs the high way, the low soul gropes the low,

And in between on misty flats the rest drift too and fro,

But to every man there’s openeth a high way, and a low

And every man decideth the way his soul will go”.

We are surrounded by those who have decided to sit still. Those who limit themselves by their own negative thinking.

There is another way. What if you and I got excited about failure? What if we saw failure as an opportunity for growth? What if we said to ourselves, “I am one step closer to my goal”.

This attitude and mindset will help us steer away from the “cowards mindset”, and achieve all that we could hope or dream for.

Rocky tells us winning is about taking the hits and moving forward. Winning according to him is about grit, and internal determination. Obviously as a boxer, this analogy compares life to a boxing match. It’s about persisting and pushing and mental fortitude in the face of possible defeat. The never give up attitude.

That’s what we need. The only way to truly unlock our incredible self, and then keep it unlocked is continual and persistent growth. Let’s continue to move, even when times are tough or we have encountered a set back.

Reset yourself, get up off your knees, dig your heels in and push against that resistance. Follow your hearts desire with determination, and vigorously pursue your goals with unrelenting persistence. Doing so will inspire and lift yourself, and your actions and example will inspire and lift others.