Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Just Roll With The Punches

As they say, rock bottom is just a foundation to build upon, and what goes down will eventually go up again. Or something like that, right?

My new year’s resolutions for 2020 are improving my health mentally and physically, strengthening my relationships with family and friends, working on my career goals, and most importantly, changing my attitude towards life.

I made a pact with myself this year to be authentic and to not let things get me down for longer than they deserve to. I might be a little optimistic, since it’s only March, but I’m seriously keeping to them for a change.

The punches will come, ladies and gentlemen, just like the kicks, the rejections, the disappointments and the sorry, I’m just not looking for something serious right now’s.

But here’s the thing: Those things, those punches and kicks, are just what we need to build up character. They shape us like a trainer; they make us stronger for when the next jab comes around, and the one after that, and the one after that. Each time we become better, faster, and more prepared. We realize that these knocks are called knocks for a reason. They knock us, and that’s all they’ll ever get to do to us: knock us, not keep us down or defeat us. 

I don’t fear a knock anymore, because deep down I know that no matter what uppercut life throws my way, I’m going to counter-punch that shit with a “You know what? That wasn’t meant for me and I’m going to apply somewhere else.”

Having this mindset isn’t easy, I’ll admit that, but it’s worth it. It’s worth shifting your view and understanding that yes, bad things happen, but they won’t happen forever. We show real strength when we are able to shift our viewpoints and stand up from the letdowns, to try to see the reasons or lessons behind them instead of letting them bring us down.

Rocky didn’t become Rocky by avoiding the ring. No, he embraced it and learned how to take the jabs when they came for him. In life, there’s going to be a lot of punches and even some elbows to the face, but we all have an inner Rocky in us—a champion that cannot be put down, someone who is willing to get up and carry on.

Things don’t always go as planned, and we can’t always predict what life will throw our way, but we can control the way we react to these situations. Just like we can choose whether we accept a knock as a defeat or as a learning curve.

My cousin is a prime example of someone who doesn’t just roll with the punches. She fears no situation and knows that whatever comes her way, she’ll be able to face it head-on. She steps into the ring of life, puts up a fight, and doesn’t let any punch keep her down for too long. That’s what I admire about her. Her willingness to not give up or back down from things but rather take them as they come and turn the situation around.

Next time life throws a punch at you, don’t just roll with it—curve that punch and throw one right back. This is your ring!