Life lessons that I learned from boxing: Although ultimately boxing is an individual sport, unlike football, baseball, and basketball, you are still a part of a team. You have your trainer, your manager, and your sparring partners. You have to spend more time training and preparing for the fight than you do actually fighting. If you want to accomplish something, you have to train and prepare for it. For example, if you want to be a doctor, you have to go through college and do internships. When you are in the ring, you have a corner that acts as extra eyes. Sometimes the advice they give is spot on and other times it could be wrong. Ultimately, you are the one fighting, and it is you who will win or lose the fight. In life, it is good to have counsel, but it is your life and you have to live it. The counsel (your corner) will not pay the consequences of your decisions and actions. You will. Training for boxing and being in the ring will test your limits. Oftentimes, you learn that you can take more punishment than you thought you could. Think about what you have been through in your life already. During some of those times, you thought you couldn't make it through, but yet you are still here. You can take more than you think you can handle if you have the right attitude and stay focused. Boxing isn't all about hitting your opponent. You must learn offense and defense. You must learn how to slip punches. You must learn footwork, counter-punching, blocking punches, etc. In life, you have to prepare offensively and defensively for tough times, trials, and the storms that come into your life. In some situations, it is best to fight back, while at other times it is best to get away from the situation through defense. Some boxers are dirty fighters. During one of my matches, my opponent had a habit of elbowing me when the referee couldn't see, so I decided to do some dirty boxing as well. When the referee was in a bad position, I would deliver some hooks to his kidneys and I would hit him in the neck with the inside of my wrist making it look like a missed punch. I laid him out and won the match. Life isn't always fair, and if you want to come out a winner, you have to fight back. If you get dropped, you must get back up if you want to win. If you stay down, you will lose the fight. In boxing, they call it a knockout.

A friend sent this to me The Unexamined Life Is Not Worth Living” Socrates was a famous Greek philosopher who said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” This means that people should think about their actions, choices, and beliefs instead of just going through life without reflection. Socrates believed that a good life is one where a person asks questions and tries to understand themselves better. The word “examined” means to look closely at something. So when Socrates talks about examining life, he means thinking carefully about why we do what we do. He wanted people to ask questions like: Why do I believe this? Is this the right choice? Am I becoming a better person? These questions help people learn and grow. Socrates thought that if people never think deeply about their lives, they may make bad choices without even realizing it. They may follow habits, other people, or emotions instead of thinking for themselves. For Socrates, a life without reflection would not be very meaningful. How to apply it in daily life This idea can be used in everyday life in simple ways. One way is to think about your day at the end of the night. You can ask yourself questions like: What did I do well today? What could I improve? Did I make good choices? This helps you learn from your actions. Another way is to question negative thoughts. For example, if you think, “I’m not good at anything,” you can stop and ask, “Is that really true?” Often, people believe things about themselves that are not completely true. By questioning those thoughts, you can see things more clearly. You can also use this idea when making decisions. Before choosing something, ask yourself if it is helping you become the kind of person you want to be. This can help you make better choices in school, friendships, and your future. This idea also helps in relationships. If you get into an argument, you can ask yourself, “What happened? Was I part of the problem, too? How can I handle this better next time?” Thinking this way can help you grow and improve how you treat other people.

Acts of Random Kindness June 29, 2007 By Bear Warrior Gonzales What if changing the world didn’t require wealth, power, or fame? What if the power to change the world was already in your hands hidden in the simple act of kindness? Tonight, I took my fiancée out on our regular Friday night date. First, we picked up my paycheck and cashed it, and then we went out to dinner. After dinner we went to the movies and watched the film Evan Almighty. In the movie, Evan runs for Congress under the campaign slogan “Change the World.” He wins the election, and suddenly, his whole world begins to change. Then God, played by Morgan Freeman, appears in his life and asks him, “You want to change the world, right?” Evan answers yes. God then tells him the way to change the world is by practicing Acts of Random Kindness, one act at a time. That idea made me stop and think. Changing the world doesn’t begin with massive movements or grand speeches. It begins with something much simpler one act of kindness at a time. And it doesn’t stop after one act. It becomes a way of living. It becomes a part of your daily life. In the movie, Evan’s wife almost leaves him because of the changes happening in his life. That part made me think even deeper. Many people are afraid of change, and sometimes, they walk away when they see it happening. I remember when I began changing in my own life. People were afraid of me because of my reputation. They believed that if they disrespected me or someone I loved, they would pay a heavy price. I was filled with anger, hatred, and violent rage. When I began to change, something interesting happened. Some people started mistaking my kindness for weakness. Others tried to take advantage of it. I had to show them something important: Kindness is not weakness. Kindness is strength under control. When you begin practicing acts of random kindness regularly, some people will misunderstand you. Some will try to take advantage of you. But that’s okay. We live in a world where many people look at life only for what they can get out of it, a world where the “dog-eat-dog” mentality is common. But if you practice acts of random kindness with a pure heart without seeking gain, recognition, or approval, you will be blessed, and you will help change this world.

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Meditation for the day I do not compete with anybody, and neither should you. Here are the reasons why. You can’t take what was meant for me, and I don't want what was meant for you. You can’t have what's mine, and I don't want what's yours. All I want is to be better today than I was yesterday and to be better tomorrow than I was today. If you continuously compete with others, you're going to get bitter, but if you compete with yourself, you're going to get better.