"It's not about how hard you can hit; it's about how hard you can be hit and keep going. It's about how much you can take and keep moving forward."

I'm looking for smelling salts and an ice pack. I'm having a "Rocky"moment.

 Even though I decided long ago fear was nothing more than a figment of my imagination, truth is; life hit's hard. It isn't always easy. 

In my hardest moments when I'm bloodied and swaggering I have to admit I ask myself, "would this be a good time to stay down….?" 

Sometimes it's a fight that I need to face, other times I need to stand up and get my sorry self out of this ring, so I can face the music in another one.  Standing is not an option; where I stand, what I face, which hit's I take; is. 

The key for me has been learning to understand that whatever and wherever I choose to engage there will be moments where I can't hit hard enough or fast enough. 

And wherever I stand, engage there will be moments I want to sit down and stay down. There will be times when it hurts like nobodies business and there will be hours, days even when I have to bribe myself with every gluttonous wonder I can imagine, to rise again.

To be honest, success somedays is nothing more than deciding 'not' to lie down, not to let the referee count to '10' before I lift my fearful, small self off the floor…

It's easier for me to get up, to take the hits when I really care. I'm no hero, I'll lie down all day, forever, quite possibly if I don't believe in the 'fight.' 

 And heh, I'm no Einstein but if I figure out I'll always be eating carpet and squinting through eyelid slits, never landing a decent punch; you gotta know I'll be crawling my sorry ass to a new ring.

But this fight, the fight to live my one, authentic, best life; well, that's a fight I don't want to crawl out of. 

Life, it's not always easy. 

But "Rocky" up Pam; it's not about how hard you can hit…. it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.

Could you hand me the smelling salts and the ice pack?  

 I'm ready to get back into the ring….Hit me with your best… thoughts.

Pam Hoelzle