Well Being

How to Face Life Like Rocky Balboa

Lessons learned form the Italian stallion, Rocky Balboa

I like thinking about facing life like a professional athlete, e.g., a professional boxer. So let us jump straight to lessons learned from the most popular boxer, Rocky Balboa:

1. Listen to your heart ❤️: according to HeartMath, the heart is as intelligent as the brain. So listen to it! “I believe there’s an inner power that makes winners or losers. And the winners are the ones who really listen to the truth of their hearts.” — Rocky Balboa
2. Define success on your own terms 📏: not based on your parents’ terms, teachers’ terms, bosses’ terms, partner(s)’ terms, social media influencers’ terms, motivational speakers’ terms, etc. “I stopped thinking the way other people think a long time ago. You gotta think like you think.” — Rocky Balboa
3. Define your values in life 👪: this is very similar to the previous one, but it is worth repeating. Your values are your compass in life. To get started, reflect on moments and memories that made you happy, and try to create more of them. You are the boss of your own life, so act like it. “Nobody owes nobody nothing. You owe yourself.” — Rocky Balboa
4. Give less f*cks ❌: and ignore the naysayers “My point is, I’m pursuing something and nobody looks too happy about it.” — Rocky Balboa
5. Create your own path, commit, and enjoy the journey ⛵️: have a vision about your own future. The future is a blank canvas, you can draw whatever you want on it. Then break down that vision into steps, start acting on them, and just keep going. This gives you hope, a sense that you are in charge of your own future, and that you can make anything happen, even your wildest dreams. When people were still discovering the world, they did not have a very detailed plan, instead they had a vision, which led them to simply jump on a boat and sail. You just need to keep going! “Every once in a while a person comes along who defies the odds, who defies logic, and fulfills an incredible dream.” — Rocky Balboa. “I am not the richest, smartest or most talented person in the world. But I succeed because I keep going and going and going.” — Rocky Balboa
6. Be resilient, and train your brain to embrace the challenges of life 💪: while you are sailing and navigating life, you need to rewire your brain to have the mindset of a champion. “Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!” — Rocky Balboa. “Every champion was once a contender who refused to give up.” — Rocky Balboa

To be continued…