How Big a Risk Must I Take

Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place and 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 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. Now, if you know what you're worth, then go out and get what you're worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hit, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you are because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that and that ain't you. You're better than that!
Rocky Balboa

Mick get's credit for reminding me of that quote. It is one of those quotes that resonates with me because it just makes so much sense. I don't care if it is a bit hokey. It doesn't matter that it rides off of cliche, the truth is in it.

Not a day goes by in which I don't try to teach my children various life lessons. Some are by example and some are spoken. My son is so very smart as is his sister. I look at them and I see so much potential. I am like every other parent, I want them to have a better life than I do. I want them not to have to struggle the way that I have.

That doesn't mean that life is bad now or that it has always been bad for me. But it has had its moments. During the past several years there have been many challenging moments. There have been so many times when I wanted to scream and sometimes I did. My father's illness was six months of unrelenting tumult and uncertainty. It came on top of some other challenging moments and segued into a few more because life doesn't ask you if now is a good time to kick you in the balls, it just does.

One of the lessons that I learned was that no matter what happens you go through some challenges all by yourself. It is not because help isn't being offered but because sometimes you can't turn off your mind. That little voice inside your head doesn't always shut up. Sometimes it keeps muttering, whispering and murmuring about the things that scare you the most.

Alone in the dark you have nothing but the sounds of the evening and your thoughts to help you drift off to sleep and even then you sometimes do not find the rest that you seek.

So I tell my children that they need to remember that part of life is hard work and practice. I tell them that desire and the ability to act upon it is tied into success. I remind them that they need to remember to balance work and play.

And then I try to forgive myself for the mistakes that I have made and I try not to worry about the risk. I could be macho and say that it takes balls to take on great risk for great reward. There is an element of that, but at the same time the world is filled with people who met with success as a result of birth and or dumb luck.

I don't really know if any of this makes sense. I just know that I am beginning to despise the words that I see before me so this post ends here.