MOTIVATION.

THOSE OF YOU, WHO WERE PRIVILEGED ENOUGH TO WATCH TIMOTHY BRADLEY'S PERFORMANCE LAST NIGHT, WOULD HAVE NOTICED A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN BRADLEY'S FIGHTING STYLE.  MOST OF THIS WAS DUE TO, THE TRAINER PICTURED ABOVE, TEDDY ATLAS.  NOT ONLY, DID ATLAS RESHAPE BRADLEY AS A FIGHTER, BUT, IF YOU WATCHED THE FIGHT LAST NIGHT, HIS MOTIVATIONAL SPARK WAS AMAZING.  THAT LOOK THAT BRADLEY GAVE ATLAS, IN THE PHOTO ABOVE, IS THE SAME LOOK BRADLEY GAVE ATLAS ALL NIGHT.  BRADLEY WAS ATTENTIVE, WIDE EYED, AND THE LOOK OF BELIEF AND EAGERNESS TO FULFILL HIS DESTINY, WAS NOT ONLY APPARENT IN HIS EYES, BUT, IN HIS PERFORMANCE AS WELL.  BRADLEY, WENT ON TO WIN VIA K.O., BY BODY SHOT, AND IN TURN RETIRING HIS OPPONENT.  GREAT PERFORMANCE, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING BRADLEY GETTING SHARPER AS TIME GOES ON.

THIS GOT ME TO THINKING ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT MOTIVATION IS TO THE FIGHTER.  NOT ONLY THE FIGHTER IN THE RING, BUT, THE FIGHTERS IN LIFE.  WE ALL NEED THAT PUSH TO BELIEVE IN OURSELVES.  WE TEND TO THINK WE CAN DO ANYTHING, WHICH HONESTLY, IS A HARD CONCEPT TO TAKE SERIOUSLY SOMETIMES, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE ODDS ARE STACKED AGAINST YOU.  WE TELL OURSELVES, THAT WE CAN DO ANYTHING WE SET OUR MINDS TO, BUT, WHEN THE OPPOSITION STARTS TO GET THICK, WE GET TEND TO SELF DOUBT.  SOMETIMES, YOU MAKE PROGRESS AND THEN HIT A PLATEAU OR A WALL, AND THE DOUBT BEGINS SETTLE IN, AS TO WHETHER OR NOT YOU CAN PROCEED FURTHER.  WE ARE ALL PROGRAMMED TO BELIEVE THAT WE CAN ACHIEVE WHATEVER WE SET OUR MINDS TO.  THIS STARTS AS KIDS, USUALLY OUR TEACHERS AND PARENTS, ARE THE FIRST TO PREACH THIS TO US.  HOWEVER, SOMEWHERE, ALONG THE WAY WE BEGIN TO ACCEPT THE ROLE WE THINK IS BETTER SUITED FOR US AND THAT BELIEF DISSIPATES.

THIS IS WHY, IT HELPS TO HAVE SOMEONE, IN YOUR CORNER CONSISTENTLY PUSHING YOU TO GO FURTHER.  WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT GO A LONG WAY.  SOMEONE LOOKING YOU IN THE EYE, AND YELLING "YOU CAN DO IT" CAN INSPIRE YOU TO BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN.  WE HAVE THIS NOTION, THAT WE DON'T NEED ANYONE, AND THAT OUR SHEER DETERMINATION IS WHAT WILL POWER US FORWARD, BUT, WHEN YOU'RE WEARY AND BROKEN, YOU NEED THAT BLATANT PUSH TO BELIEVE THAT YOU'RE STILL IN THIS GAME.  WE LIKE TO ISOLATE OURSELVES, AND SAY WE "GRIND" ALONE, OR THAT WE DON'T NEED ANYBODY, AND BRAG ABOUT HOW WE LOSE FRIENDS, DUE TO OUR QUEST, BUT, WHEN THAT DOUBT BEGINS TO CREEP IN AND YOU START SWINGIN FOR THE FENCES, WILL YOU PUT YOURSELF IN JEOPARDY DUE TO DESPERATION?  HAVING A MOTIVATIONAL VOICE, SOMEONE TO PUSH YOU, CAUTION YOU, LOOK YOU IN THE EYE AND TELL YOU, THAT YOU'RE NOT DONE IS CRUCIAL TO ACHIEVING GOALS.  SOME OF YOU ALREADY HAVE THIS PERSON, BUT, DON'T LISTEN.  SOME OF YOU DON'T HAVE THIS PERSON, DUE TO FEAR OF SEEMING WEAK.  WHATEVER, THE CASE MAY BE, EVERYONE NEEDS MOTIVATION AND NO MAN IS AN ISLAND.  YOU MAY DO THE WORK ALONE, BUT, YOU DON'T BELIEVE INTO EXISTENCE ALONE.

SO LET ME END THIS BY SAYING THIS....

YOU CAN AND YOU FUCKIN WILL.  YOU HAVE COME THIS FAR AND IT WASN'T FOR NOTHING.  YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE HERE.  THERE'S STILL A LONG WAY TO GO, BUT, YOU'RE READY TO FACE THAT CHALLENGE.  I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT.  YOU KNOW YOU CAN DO IT.  EVERYBODY KNOWS, WE'RE ALL JUST WAITING ON YOU TO SHOW THE REST OF THE WORLD, WHAT WE'VE ALREADY KNOWN THIS WHOLE TIME.   -  IF