Hello Dear Readers,
I’m truly sorry about my lack of blogging lately. Last week was very rough for me, and when I’m feeling negative, I tend to want to keep my feelings to myself. However, I know exactly how much tolerance I have for being unhappy. Whenever adversity comes into my life, there’s a great chance that within a few days, I’ll have accepted whatever happened and be feeling positive again.
There’s danger in getting your heart set on something, especially something that is not completely within your control. For instance, you can really want to get a publishing deal. You can do everything in your power–write every day, produce finished novels, get expert help from editors, go to writer’s conferences, even get an agent. And you know what? There are still no guarantees. I’ve heard horror stories from writers who have grasped the brass ring and landed a publishing deal, only to have the publishing house go bankrupt. Back to square one.
The same goes for fighting. You can train and train and train. You can work your heart out, and seek the best coaching you can find. You can eat right, make weight, and have the best sparring partners. And still, anything can happen. An injury might derail you. Your opponent may not show up, or if he does, he may fail his physical. Or maybe your coach can’t find you a good match. The chances for disappointment are endless.
The question is, how do you handle adversity? Do you try to turn it to your advantage, or do you give into it and let it make you feel like a loser? It’s okay if it takes you some time to get a handle on it…if it’s a really big disappointment, it often takes me a few days.
As for me, I’ll most likely still be fighting in early November, but the process will not be what I hoped. At first, I was crushed. Very disappointed. And then I got angry, angrier than I have been in a long time. There were definitely a couple of dark days last week.
But then, my sense of optimism kicked in. I have a world champion in my corner, literally and figuratively. I have my years of previous experience, and all the people I trained with back in the day who are still willing to help whenever and however they can. I have my determination, and my fighting spirit. I have connections I can reach out to in order to get what I need, be it extra sparring, more one-on-one training, or just some simple encouragement and support.
There is even a chance that this disappointment will work in my favor. I will get to implement a training schedule designed to meet my needs. I don’t have to concern myself with what anyone else needs to work on. This could be a blessing in disguise.
It’s a popular misconception that the Chinese words for “crisis” and “opportunity” are one and the same. While this isn’t exactly true, it represents a good way to look at life. It certainly beats the alternative–when did wailing and gnashing one’s teeth ever accomplish anything?
Please share a time when you were deeply disappointed by something in your life. How did you turn it around to your advantage?