Rocky: His whole life was a million-to-one shot. A photograph of Sylvester Stallone (Rocky Balboa) with those very words, hang on the wall directly in front of my bed. It is the first thing – almost always the first thing, anyway – I look at each morning. Though I do not know much about the movie Rocky, or any of the five sequels, the photograph in itself is remarkably inspiring to me.
In the photograph Sylvester Stallone (Rocky Balboa) is running in sweats, a headband, and boxing straps, while a crowd of people are running far behind him. In this image I not only see what I described in the previous sentence, but I also see a man running towards his dream. In the crowd I not only see what is obvious to anyone glancing at the photograph, a mere multitude of people, but instead I see what can be termed as the “masses” or the “norms” – people with dreams and ambitions just as everyone else, but too scared, lazy, and misguided to make anything of them.
I also see a man who is relentlessly hacking away at his dreams, who will stop at absolutely no cost up until the day where his dreams are no longer dreams but instead reality.
It takes vast amounts of courage to make your dreams into your reality. For it is the fact that it takes one so much courage to do what one aspires to do that so many people hopelessly give up. Courage, by definition, is the ability to do something that frightens one. Courage derives from fear. And fear can be very unpleasant and, at times, constricting. However, giving that courage derives from fear, fear is not entirely negative. In fact, it is normal to feel fear, especially about things, so to speak, “bigger than us” – our dreams. Still it is within us not to harbor this fear, but instead recognize it, and let it fuel the courage inside each and every one of us.
It is important to note that the path of the courageous is not an easy one. Many stumbling blocks will be placed in your way, but in every obstacle is a lesson, and in every lesson is instilled within you a new strength. The lessons will shape your mind, the strengths your heart; for no great man or woman has ever been faint in either. What’s more, life has a funny way of sorting things out and will never give you more than you can handle at once. With that in mind, any crippling fear within us should dwindle away.
“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that
something else is more important than fear.”
– Ambrose Redmoon
However, lack of courage is not the only reason many people do not to chase their dreams. Indolence and laziness are often just as much a problem. Simply stated, most people do not want to put in work. As Vince Lombardi Jr. said, “the dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. Work is the key to success, and hard work can help you accomplish anything.” Most of us want to live idle or dormant lives and expect greatness to fall upon our laps. And honestly, as wonderful as that would be, chances are that’s not gonna happen. The bigger your dreams, the more you must hack away at it. Hard work pays off. And as the Marines say, no one ever drowned in sweat.
“We often miss opportunity because it’s dressed in overalls and looks like work”
– Thomas A. Edison
For some of us, it is not that we lack courage or diligence, but rather it is ignorance that holds us back. Now, I know ignorance has some negative connotations attached to it, but when I speak of ignorance I speak of it in its proper form: lack of knowledge. Some of us are simply ignorant to the fact that we can actually chase our dreams, and that oftentimes, with the right amount of work, we can make a living out of our dreams.
Most of us, especially if you grew up in America, grew up thinking that your dreams were something you pursued at an old age – retirement – after years of laborious work (in a job that you most likely weren’t too fond of, but that’s a different topic). You are afraid to pursue your dreams for reasons such as: “they won’t pay the bills,” “others will think I am irresponsible, foolish, or juvenile,” or, the most common one, “what if I fail?” Part of the reason, if not MOST of the reason, why people think this way is because we live in such a structured society: school; some more school; even more school; work; get married; have kids; raise kids; retire (not to mention all the pointless happenings in between [i.e. too much television, compulsive shopping, and acquiring debt]). Conformity is literally killing you. Maybe not physically, but it is certainly draining you mentally, emotionally, and psychologically – not to mention depriving you of your creativity. It is robbing you of your true beauty and essence – your uniqueness. However, it does not have to be that way, but most are not aware of it.
“Living is easy with eyes closed.”
– John Lennon
Some people won’t chase their dreams because they are too scared. Others are too lazy. And some simply did not know they could.
Fear no more. Work hard. And open your eyes.
For in these times where ignorance is short of scarce, and being different is frowned upon, we need more brave, conscientious people.
Never settle for anything less than your heart’s sincere contentment.
You will have to run (not literally, most likely) from that which is holding you back in life, just as Sylvester Stallone is doing in that photograph. And no matter which path you take, it will not be easy (instead of a million-to-one shot, you have, approximately, an eight-billion-to-one shot, for absolutely nobody can live life the way you did – no pressure). But, hell, it will be worth it.
Listen to your heart. Let it guide you. You’ll be glad you did.
Peace and Love, to all.
bolddisobedience 