Rocky Balboa was inspired by the true story of my mother growing up in rural Taiwan in the 1950s.
Well, I’d like to think so at least...
My mom lost her father at three, and grinded through hunger and poverty for most of her formative years.
She didn’t know a dress could be new, and it wasn’t until she was a teenager that she stopped wearing second hand clothes.
She was fortunate to have government sponsored free education, but depended on ONLY one pencil and notebook that was government supplied every year.
And when my mom finally immigrated to the United States, she had to survive a turbulent marriage and a difficult divorce, all while working and trying to raise two girls.
My mom enjoys watching competitive boxing because she loves seeing the underdogs fight to the top. She is the most influential business coach of my life, and this is a POWERFUL lesson that she has taught me:
Picture yourself in a boxing ring. You are in one corner and life is your opponent, bobbing and weaving, ready to meet you in the center. It will kick your ass if you allow it. Life is in the ring to remind you that if you want to be successful, you have one shot at it, and you must fight for it. YOU get to decide: stay down when knocked down, or get up and fight for the next round. And most importantly, you have to train– EVERY DAY - if you want to win.
Fight for these Five to Stay in the Ring:
1. Your Voice. This is uniquely yours. Own it and use it wisely. Don’t shy away from expressing your ideas, desires, dreams, needs, and expectations. Be confident and share with passion and authenticity. This is not an earned right. This is an innate right. Speak up.
2. Your Worth. How you'll be valued by others is based on what you believe you’re worth. Review how others are treating you personally and professionally; they're a mirror to how you truly feel about yourself. If you don’t like what you see, NOW is the time to shift the mindset and heartset. Don’t waste another second. Pivot for your success.
3. Your Growth. Invest in yourself. Continue to learn. Read books, attend seminars, or pursue that degree. Surround yourself with people that you know are smarter and more successful. Learn from them and widen the scope of your world. You are in the driver’s seat of your life - drive your evolution.
4. Your Financial Freedom. Non-negotiable. This is about creating a personal financial platform that allows you to live your life with courage, and not in a state of fear. It’s not just about paying your bills. It’s the freedom to make choices for greater, bigger, and better. It’s the freedom to walk away from a toxic partner, job, or any situation that doesn’t serve you because you're able to support yourself and don't need them to survive. It gives you the power to say fuck off.
5. Your Personal Time. You have to recharge. You're not doing anyone a favor by putting everyone else’s needs first ALL of the time. You're not a hero when you share that you're running yourself into the ground. Get your sleep and decompress. Put it on the calendar and commit to it. Your loved ones, your business, and ultimately YOU will not succeed if you don’t carve this out for yourself. You can’t drive a car on an empty tank. Fill ‘er up!
