As long as you're giving it your all, you're becoming better.
The other day, I was outside training football drills with my son. When he dropped a pass, he'd get sad, so I told him something I think is very important to remember. Making shots and succeeding easily is great, but it's not going to make you stronger. When you're failing, you're growing. Every time you drop a pass or fall on the ground and decide to try again anyway, you are growing your self-discipline. You are heightening your chances of long-term success, even when it doesn't feel like it. There's an example I really like. Kobe Bryant was one of the greatest basketball players of all time. He has a lot of records, but the one most people don't talk about is his record for most missed shots. Kobe Bryant is still one of the greatest to ever play the game, so let me tell you something—be proud of your missed shots. When it feels like your failures are piling up, I want you to count your failures and remember that they're proof of your resolve.
Your failures are proof that you've made it up within yourself to never give up, even when the going gets truly hard.
We all go through pain in life, and we all experience failure. We all go through setbacks, and we all go through doubt and fear. It's different for all of us, but no human is exempt from hardship. Although that might sound pretty bleak, I'm going to be honest with you. Even though it might sound a little bit generic, it comes from the heart. Let me tell you something—there's more to your life than what you're currently going through. There's more to your life than what you're experiencing right now. How do I know? Because I've been there. I know how it feels to think my life is over, and I know how it feels to lose people. I know how it feels to think the future has nothing in store, and I know how it feels to believe there's no point in living. Trust me—if you have breath in your lungs, you have the ability to move forward. If you are alive and breathing, it doesn't matter how beaten down you are, because you have the ability to grow. You have the ability to change for the better, and you can turn your life into anything you want it to look like.
It's time to fight this battle from within and defeat your toxic mindset. It's time to cultivate peace and positivity, and it's time to get disciplined. It all starts with you.
