The Q-Kids: Empty Wallet, Empty Stomach

JRN:?A man can go through a break up, get fired from his job, be in debt, and still say, "I'll figure it out."

Real men don’t crumble when life hits them. They stand up, dust off, and say, “I’ll figure it out.” No excuses, just action. A man doesn’t break when life hits him. He looks at the chaos and says, “This is temporary. I’ll rise again.” No matter how deep the struggle, he trusts in his ability to figure it out. Some of our best performances come in times of grand chaos. Survival situations can enable us to do pretty much anything. And massive respect for the man who can sustain a poker face amidst all that.

The most motivating phrase I can think of right now is empty stomach, empty wallet, broken heart. I write this on Thanksgiving and while I am thankful for many things, I am most thankful for the struggle. The struggle shapes you in ways I cannot explain. I posted a video the other day of me doing 100 pushups in my office at 4am. Why? Because I was doing rounds overnight and needed to get my workout in. So I timed it at the office. The struggle. I didn't have food that day so I drank extra black coffee to sustain my energy and keep me fasting. the struggle. I am focused on becoming the most successful person in my bloodline. The struggle. When you embrace it instead of running from it, it shapes your focus. As sappy and simple as Rocky III was, regaining the eye of the tiger is the point of the movie, and you have to go back to the beginning where you lost it, to find it. The struggle is real. No food, no money, heartbroken but motivated and focused on the why. It is always about the why. I am decidedly different from one year ago. the ego gone, the focus present.?

Anyone who reads this, we want you to know that?ordinary people are worth knowing about, that love is the surpassing emotion in our lives and that some things are worth struggling hard for, even if there may only be the honor of the struggle to show in the end.

Tell me.

ALB: Wow, John, this is super powerful and I decided to read this twice to really let this sink in. You know that I personally admire a man or woman who stands up for her/himself and does what s/he needs to do, even if it's not what s/he wants or feels like doing. Without getting too personal here, it is extremely sad when you see a man or anyone fall apart, crumble, or struggle so much in a stressful situation or phase of life. I have such a deep compassion for others that it is hard for me to watch someone I care about have a really hard time, but I get equally frustrated when that person doesn't do anything or enough to help her/himself, too. Being "weak," per say, and giving in to every emotion and quintessentially "giving up" on life when things don't go your way is beyond frustrating for me to witness with someone.

It gets my wheels turning and pondering "why would I want to share my life with you when you are so full of misery and wanting pity?" in the case that comes to mind when I think about this particular topic. It's really draining to be so negative, self-deprecating, and such a downer. No one wants to be around you when you have the attitude that the world is against you or have a constant "woe is me" attitude. I do know that when you personally experience frustration, loss, unhappiness, unfulfillment, or anything negative for a period of time and it really sinks in, it certainly makes you more appreciative and thus, more immersed in happiness when you do have true happiness, contentent, joy, fulfillment, etc. It's like the feeling of "wow, I never knew what I was missing until I experienced this and now I realize how great life can be." Staying motivated and focused, as you mention above, on your "why" is so important so you "stay the course," whatever that may be for any particular person.

I often need to pep talk myself about this from time to time in order to not lose sight of day to day frustrations, struggles, and just bumps in the road of life. For instance, I am not a morning person and I have never been. When it's REALLY especially challenging for me to get going in the morning, I remind myself about the perks of my career and how close retirement can be as well and what that may look like when the time comes...with a gentle reminder that I do not want to wish precious time away either. I am a big fan of living in the moment and not looking too far ahead, but instead, enjoying the right now, every step of the way. I am super curious to hear how our readers can relate to this sentiment; aren't you, John? I hope they share some of their experiences and thoughts below with us.