Fight like a dance

This is what I love about tenacity; the grits, sweat, drive, emotion, the perspiration that comes with staying in, giving all and never letting go. It’s like a dance, not the one you always enjoy but the one you have to do to keep going. You push and get pushed back, you push and get pushed back again. You keep on going until the resistance is down. Every athlete knows every victor knows that you have to push through the pain. It aches, you keep going. It breaks, you fix it and keep going. The crown comes at a price, that only the persistent obtains.

It’s like the dance of a boxer. One foot in front, one at the back. Hands up in a defensive position, face protected. Knees bent slightly, ready for the fight. The mind filled with pictures of what will be at the end, victory as defined by the fighter. On high alert, ready! Bell goes off and you dive in with a Jab! Cross! Your opponent hit back. You go at it again, not fluttering, not standing down. Heart and mind transfixed on only one thing the resistance will go down. Whatever it takes, however long it takes, you’d be the last one standing.

Body swaying back and forth as you keep going at the opponent. You take a hit, you stagger back. Stance sustained, you bounced back. Not staying down, whatever it takes you’d put the resistance down. One foot in front and the other at the back. Jab! Cross! Uppercut! Uppercut! Mind, body, spirit engaged, this is it. You keep at it, you keep hitting again and again and again. Even when you feel subdued, even when your body aches. You continue the fight in a dance-like manner. You sustain the rhythm, bouncing on your toes, moving back and forth, putting in your all. No slacking, no distractions, eyes on the prize this resistance is going down.

You can’t draw back now; you keep going until it’s all over. You know you need to continue; you only need one deadly blow. Unfortunately, you can’t tell which will take the opponent down and that’s why you keep going. Maybe this Jab, maybe this uppercut will do it. Your arms ache but you keep at it. Your mind reels as your legs begin to give way but you still keep going. As you forge ahead you assess the situation. What will it take to bring this resistance down? You take in quick inventory of what you have, your advantage against your opponent. Assets realigned to put you in the best position, you take a swing again. Few more seconds, few more punches and down goes the opponent. Bells go off – the fight is over, victory at last for the last one standing.

At that moment you experience a feeling of satisfaction that comes from finishing well. It’s the drive that keeps you going, tenacity inched into every part of your body. Truth be told it wasn’t that last blow that took down the opponent, it was the accumulation of the many blows that resulted in your victory. That’s why you couldn’t just give in when you got hit back, you had to keep going.

Life’s like this fight, like the dance of a boxer in the fighting ring. Some get you, some you get. Ultimately you win if you keep fighting back. There will be times it feels like you are at the losing end, just keep at it. Fight for your health, fight for your home, fight for your kids, fight for your life as you want it to be. If you get hit, keep going. If you fall in the process, get up and go at it again. You’d only come out on top at the end if you don’t let go. If you are still breathing, you are still living so keep going for it until you win.



Comments