One day this Summer I found myself in a rut, feeling unmotivated and low. I went for a walk and thought about where I am in my sport, and where I am headed My record is heavy in the loss column. It’s not impressive on paper, and I don’t think I’ve heard of one quite that bad before. I wondered why. Then a thought popped into my head, “Anyone that lost that many times probably quit a long time ago. So why am I still going?”
This revelation made me sad. I was tempted to plummet into thoughts of self pity. But I genuinely wanted an answer. Why was I still going….even after suffering a major injury? I mulled it over in my mind, trying to come up with an answer. I began forming a mental list of the top reasons I love Muay Thai.
The first thing that came to mind was I genuinely enjoy it. It’s such a pure and fun art form. The movements and technique are raw but smooth. Lethal but controlled. I love hitting things. It feels therapeutic. It feels great to sweat, get physically tired, and mentally focus on movements and strategy; it’s a beautiful thing!
Second, I love the challenge and the way it pushes me out of my comfort zone and helps me to grow. It forces me to live disciplined, and work hard for my goals. There’s nothing to hide behind when you step in the ring. And it’s taught me to not stay down when I fall down.
Finally, I love that it’s a form of nonverbal expression. Stuttering was a problem when I was a kid, and although I overcame that, communication has been a hurdle over the years. Although it’s something I’ve worked on, I still feel there’s something special about being understood, even without words. I love that I can express myself nonverbally. Key qualifier here is verbal. There’s certainly a lot of effort that goes into training and fighting, but fighting is mostly nonverbal. I love this.
Whatever it is you do, take time to appreciate the things you love about it. Life is a crazy and wonderful gift we only get to do once, so embrace it all!
It reminds me of this verse from Ecclesiastes 9:10
“Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.”
What things in life are you grateful for, even if they can be hard at times?
I’d love to hear! Leave a comment below!
