Enzo Tran posted: " "The difference between those who are great, and those who achieve greatness, is in their reaction to these moments of failure, in which they are hit by a stray bullet, or are struck down and onto the canvas." THE REMINDER: I have a wallpaper on my"
"The difference between those who are great, and those who achieve greatness, is in their reaction to these moments of failure, in which they are hit by a stray bullet, or are struck down and onto the canvas."
THEREMINDER:
I have a wallpaper on my phone that gives me a reminder, telling me that, "you don't lose if you get knocked down; you lose if you stay down." It reminded me of a game I used to play called Rainbow 6 Siege. The first person shooterwas unforgiving, with each gun fight lasting for only a couple of seconds, and a sense that you only had a limited time to make your mark on the outcome of each round. Within the game, there was a system called 'DBNO,' which stands for "Down, but not out." It refers to the second chance that was given if you took enough damage to be knocked down, but not out of the game- you could have a second chance if the circumstances allowed it. In the art of boxing, elite fighters are faced with a similar situation in which, if they hit the canvas, they are given up to 10 seconds to get back up- or face defeat. These athletes, who are paid to risk being beaten, bloodied, and bruised, often take what is known as the "eight count." They choose to stay down a little longer, before dusting their gloves off and bringing up their guard again, to face their opponent. In the world of social media, hustle culture, and the constant pressure that you must be successful before turning thirty, it seems as though the concept of DBNO is needed now, more than ever.
What is Down?
We've all been knocked down before, whether it was of our own doing, or through the cursed hands of our fate. Maybe you're at rock bottom right now, on you're knees, begging for life to get better, praying for the shit storm to stop, and being met with nothing but a nice little present of more shit (Related: Why Rock Bottom Isn't That Bad). Being down is a period of loss, mourning, or grief. It tends to be filled with an overwhelmingly negative emotions, it's the time in which that voice in your head telling you that you're not good enough becomes the loudest. It's often synomous with one word: hopelessness. For me, being down is when I can't see a way out- when life just seems too damn hard, where even the most mundane or simple tasks like brushing my teeth, or writing a blog, seem impossible. Being down is the catalyst for being out- it's a time or event in your life that either makes or breaks you. It's the last straw on the camels back, the fraction of a second that makse the water boil over. But the difference between being down, and being out, is extremely important- it's the difference between night and day, life and death.
Being out means the refusal to try again, the death of an opportunity- quitting too soon. Declaring yourself a failure, refusing to go again, is the only way you can lose. As the old saying goes, "you miss a 100% of the shots you don't take." If you decide that you no longer want to risk getting hurt and losing, you simulatenously destroy any chance of succeeding. I think that's the most important thing I've realised within the past year, and it's something that I tell my clients when I train them: it's your choice to quit. And, by the same token, it's also your choice to get up, and succeed. The knowledge that it's your choice is both terrifying and empowering- knowing that getting up or staying down, whether that be in relation to your career, job, education, or physical health, is a fate that is fundamentally up to you, it can open up doors you never knew existed- or lock the ones that you know to be around the corner.
Getting Back Up
The difference between those who are great, and those who achieve greatness is in their reaction to these moments of failure, in which they are hit by a stray bullet, or are struck down and onto the canvas. There are moments in life that will hurt like hell, that will test your faith, and perhaps even your will to live. A lot of these events tend to be out of control, and just happen to befall us because of bad luck. But these tragadies, these moments of suffering, they are all part of the human condition. These moments of adversity, no matter how tough they may seem, can work in your favour, if you let them. That doesn't mean you must rush the process of getting back up- as a matter of fact, if you are DBNO, consider staying down a little longer, taking the eight count to recollect your thoughts, to redraft the map of your journey, to ensure that the next step you take, no matter how short it may be, is one that leads you forwards, rather than back. And I think that's a crucial thing to know: that being down is not actually a negative thing, despite it's tendency to create such emotions.
From the people I've met, those who want it all, whether that be academically, physically, or socially, there seems to be a common trait in all of them: they put so much pressure on themselves. I'm guessing you're probably one of those people, who constantly demand the best from themselves, who want to improve day in, day out. They fall into the trap of constantling falling short, because of how high their expectations are. Their perspective of 'down' is defined by their extreme expectations, their impossible definitions of 'up.' If you do not set clear enough goals that are achievable and realistic, yet still challenging, then you may always feel as though you're down. Getting back up is a difficult process, and staying down for a little allows the mind, body, and soul, to rest. Marcus Aurelius, a great Roman emperor and ancient philisophers, believed that the Universe never presented a challenge that could not be overcome, beliving that one should not see adversity as misfortune, but rather the ability for you to move onwards, to maintain strength and solititude despite trauma, is a form of good fortune. So, dear reader, here's your reminder that it is not misfortune for you to feel as though you have been knocked down by the knuckles of life, rather, it is good fortune that you can decide to get back up, despite being down, but not out. Get up, dust off your gloves, and get ready to fight another round.
WordPress.com
No comments:
Post a Comment