“If I was thinking straight, I’d go back home, find a used trailer, buy a deep fryer and some Oreos.”
Last modified 2 weeks, 3 days ago.
In the movie Million Dollar Baby, the lead character, Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) says:
"If I was thinking straight, I'd go back home, find a used trailer, buy a deep fryer and some Oreos."
Maggie wasn’t thinking straight, though. She was a hero of her own life. (I won’t ruin the movie for you, though).
I must not be thinking straight, either, because I know that I must be the hero of my own life, too.
Yes, be a hero. That’s all. Nothing less will do.
I contemplate, ‘What is it going to take to get where I really want to go?’
I’ll be using my experience. I’ve got my fair share by now. I’ll be finding the next small steps, because we can always break down bigger goals into smaller increments. I’ll need plenty of energy to do it–that’s where fitness comes in.
I’m ready.
I could have given up on my hero’s journey many, many times. I had secure and stable work. I had a nice place. I lived a few blocks away from one of the most beautiful beaches with near-perfect weather. I could have cruised and retired well before my 50th birthday.
I didn’t cruise, though. I knew there was more for me to pursue. I wasn’t groomed for success growing up. If anything, I was groomed for mediocrity, or worse, failure. But I was willing to make up for lost time (and still am). I came from a place where there was only one right way to do anything. And if that didn't work, then there was no hope that things would get better. There was only one way to think. And really, only one path, that lead to nowhere special.
But to the hero, those are just obstacles to overcome, which will soon be distant memories.
It’s nothing dramatic. To borrow a quote from Arthur Ashe, “True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic.”
Daily discipline. Ignoring noise and distractions. Focus. Incremental effort over a long period of time. Staying positive. Having a sense of humor. Keep an active learning mindset. I could go on, but really, I’m keeping it as simple and smart as I can.
That’s all.
That’s my hero’s journey.
We all know someone (or many people), whose life has passed them by. Maybe that is what hell is, where in your last moments, you see everything you could have been if you had gotten out of your own way, been radically responsible, and persevered.
I’m staying out of hell.