
POINT TO PONDER
There is no better than adversity. Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance the next time.
STORY LINE by Rajiv Shah
With one second to go in the round, the proclaimed "champion of the decade" crumpled to the canvas in front of a stunned stadium of 16,000 plus at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Manny Pacquaio, the revered and favored ten time world champion in eight different weight classes, lay motionless on the canvas after a vicious shot from his arch rival, Juan Manuel Marquez. There was no doubt, the fight was over and Manny's loss signaled what might be the fading of a brilliant career.
A hero had fallen and one who seemed nearly invincible, a champion that hadn't been knocked out since 1999. But as I watched (for what seemed like an eternity) as they tried to revive Manny, I realized something about boxing and life - we always get knocked out at some point. We get rolled in the dirt, passed up by someone else, and sometimes like Manny, we don't even see it coming.
In the aftermath it seems there are many opinions. People (some in Pacqauio's own family) are calling for Manny's retirement. Some are even making a big joke out of the whole thing and ridiculing him. Others are trying to reason that his loss was due to his involvement in politics and his new religious beliefs which they feel distracted him from his focus, boxing. So what does Manny or any one of us that experiences setbacks or defeat do after a tough loss?
After the fight Manny Pacquaio went over to Juan Manuel Marquez and in a quiet moment congratulated him for his victory. When Manny was interviewed he said, "I want to congratulate Juan Manuel. I have no excuses. It was a good fight and he deserved the victory." No excuses. No blame. It said a lot about Manny Pacquaio's character. He went on, "I am looking forward to a nice rest and then I will be back to fight."
REFLECTION
So what's the takeaway from all of this? Well, maybe it's not about taking the hits or getting knocked down. That happens, but unfortunately, that often becomes the focus. Perhaps, it's about how you can take the hits, own up to them, and how you can get back up. If you decide to get back up...
In the words of Rocky Balboa:
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 going to hit as hard as life... but it ain't about how hard you 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.