Lessons Learned from Rocky Balboa

Rocky is one of the best movies of all time. The series, or a good number of the films, was on cable today and it got me thinking. You have to like Balboa because he’s the underdog. He’s a fighter. He’s not huge compared to most of the guys that he fights, but fighting is all that he knows how to do. He can’t go out and get a day job or make a living any other way. So, he goes out, all heart and passion and does what he does best. He has guts and he realizes that without sacrificing something, there is nothing to win. All of this made me realize, we could all learn a little something from the Italian Stallion.

photo credit: Jase The Bass

In order to emphasize these life lessons you can learn, I will use some quotes and expand from there.

Adrian: Why do you wanna fight?
Rocky: Because I can’t sing or dance.

Sure, this is more of a comical moment, but there is some seriousness to it. Why do you want to do what you do? Is it because you have no choice or because whether circumstances led you to it or not, you have passion for what you are doing? If you’re doing it because you have to do it then the “eye of the tiger” most likely is not there and you will only get so far in your chosen or pre-determined career.

Rocky: It really don’t matter if I lose this fight. It really don’t matter if this guy opens my head, either. ‘Cause all I wanna do is go the distance… if I can go that distance, you see, and that bell rings and I’m still standin’, I’m gonna know for the first time in my life, see, that I weren’t just another bum from the neighborhood.

If you aren’t willing to go the distance in whatever it is you choose to do then you shouldn’t bother getting in the ring. Whether you have something to prove to yourself or someone else doesn’t particularly matter. What does matter is the hunger you have for what you are doing. Every major business decision and many of the seemingly minor ones need to be considered with this in mind because those that are not willing to risk something never really gain anything.

Rocky Balboa: Come on Paulie, we’re about to serve the special.
Paulie: Italian food made by Mexicans ain’t that special.

I know, I know. What can I say? Paulie is and always has been inadvertently kind of racist, but that’s not the major point. The point is do not represent yourself in one way and prove to be something else, because like Paulie says, you’ll be proving that you “ain’t that special.” You’ve worked your ass off building a site, a brand, and a reputation and that’s great, but you need to be honest about who you are and what you have to offer. Crying out “Social Media Expert” and “Top Blogger in ______ Category” is kind of like being that real estate agent that is “#1 in Sales.” Pre-made titles don’t impress anyone except those that are not smart enough to do their research and even those people will learn the truth to your claims (positive or negative) eventually.

Rocky Balboa: The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place It will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me or nobody is going to hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard you hit, it is about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward, how much can you take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!

I don’t even feel like I need to add anything here. Look, think of life in terms of sandbox play. Every now and then a bully is going to come and kick some sand in your eye. Your option is going to be to wipe out the sand and get back to building your castle or sit there and cry, which will only make the sand thing worse. What are you going to do? Life isn’t going to stop needing to be lived just because someone or something is trying to push you down. You have to keep fighting, keep striving for more, and if you fall you need to brush off your ass and hit harder once you’re back up and standing!

Marie: It doesn’t matter how this looks to other people. If this is something you gotta do, then you do it. Fighters fight.

Fighters fight. Winners win. These two groups have something undeniable in common. 1. They are not afraid to take some punches and 2. They are willing to risk what they need to gain what they want/need. At the end of the day, if you know you’re heading toward your ultimate goal and you know you are doing what’s right for you then fuck everyone else. I know, it’s not PC to say that, but no one is running your business but you. If you are doing something you’re proud of and it works then keep doing what you’re doing…for you. In the end, it’s going to be your happiness and pride in your business that keeps it alive or puts it to bed.

Martin: The only kind of respect that matters is self-respect.

This one is only half true. It certainly matters to some extent what people think of you and how much respect they have for you. However, at the end of the day you are going to bed with yourself (and maybe someone else if you’re lucky) and it’s you that you have to live with first. If you can’t look yourself in the mirror and be proud of the person you see, then nothing that anyone else thinks of you is going to matter. You have to love yourself. You need to think you’re great and you deserve success. You need to be passionate about your feelings for yourself and your business. Anything else, just won’t do.

Rocky Balboa: Nothing is real if you don’t believe in who you are!

This kind of goes along with what has been said above. Success only means so much if you don’t feel like you’re worthy of what you have and what you have earned. Furthermore, if you don’t believe you can succeed, how far do you think you will get in your business? You have to be honest about who you are and what you want and own it. There is only one you! Be proud of all that you can offer and make something out of your business (and your life) that will leave a legacy that you’re proud to leave.

Apollo: We always have to be in the middle of the action ’cause we’re the warriors. And without some challenge, without some damn war to fight then the warriors might as well be dead.

Deep down, we all have a little warrior in us. The thrill of the fight is what drives many of us to succeed. There is nothing as satisfying as working those late nights, crunching those numbers, putting those pencils to the grind and then seeing the success that we have created. Sure, the work seems hard and sometimes it seems tedious, but when you look back, you have to admit that it felt good to build what you were building. The challenge of a new day with new experiences is what gets many people out of bed in the morning. The same can be said in business. The ones that do the best challenge themselves. Don’t go soft. If you’ve met your goal then make a new one. Make a harder one and don’t stop until you reach it!

Duke: You’re gonna have to go through hell, worse than any nightmare you’ve ever dreamed. But when it’s over, I know you’ll be the one standing. You know what you have to do. Do it.

Whether you are an Internet Marketer, a Blogger, or in some other business you are going to face some challenges and have to fight some battles. There are going to be moments when you question whether what you’re doing is even worth it. This is especially the case for bloggers. 99% of you won’t make the cost of your blog. That in itself is a daunting thought. It’s up to you to decide if you’re going to be one of the 99% or one of the 1% though. If you make the decision to succeed and you put in the time to do it, at the end, you will be the one standing. Sure, it’s going to take hard work, perseverance and a hell of a lot of patience (mixed with just a touch of good luck), but it can be done.

Rocky: There’s a lot I could say about this man, but I don’t know if it matters now. I guess what matters is what he stood for, what he lived for, and what he died for. You always did everything the way you wanted it. And I didn’t understand that, but now I understand. I’ll never forget you, Apollo. You’re the best.”

When you are living your life think of what Rocky is saying here. When you are forming your business, attempt to do the same. What matters in life is what you stand for. What matters is what you live for. Show people who you are. Don’t be afraid of the vulnerability involved in doing so and don’t be tempted to hold anything back. If you are not comfortable dying the way you are now then you need to change the things that people do not need to remember about you. Live like every second is your last breath and you will die knowing that you stood for something.

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