Lessons from Rocky Balboa

Let’s talk belief.

I spend a lot of time writing about specific things that you can do to counter anxiety, but today I want to delve into a more intangible quality that can help push you over the hump and propel you into the “normal zone.”

And instead of getting all technical or philosophical about this, I’m going to use the Italian Stallion to illustrate my point. I know, I know, this sounds corny, but lest you forget the awesomeness of the original film.

So, why Rocky? I chose Rocky because this cold war hero is the epitome of what a strong belief in yourself can accomplish. Now, I know Rocky isn’t real, but that really is beside the point. After all, fiction is written by real people with real messages right?

Plus, most people liked Rocky, in fact,  you probably remember cheering for this lovable meat-head because of his grit, work ethic, and determination. And not only was Rocky inspirational, he’s also a lot like you.

Let me highlight a few things that you have in common with the Philly bomber.

The Opponent

Like Rocky, you face a big, strong opponent that is dedicated to crushing you, at least psychologically. An opponent that taunts you like Mr. T, and pounds on you like Drago. These dudes were mean as hell, and so is severe anxiety.

The other thing is, you’re probably also intimidated by your opponent much like Rocko was. Impressed with his lighting speed and ability to cause havoc in what seems to be a thousand different ways.

But as big and bad as your opponent seems, he is, in the end, beatable.

Training

Every time Rocky had to prepare for a big fight he had to train, and train hard. But training doesn’t just apply to sports, it also applies to learning. You won’t have to do sit ups with logs, run up mountains, or out run KGB agents in the snow, but you should be working hard to turn the tide in your favor by using whatever works for you.

Fighting hard

Rocky had to fight hard to win, and you’ll need to do much the same thing. But your fight is different, in that your fighting not only your opponent, but also your self sabotaging ways. You see, your fight is about learning how to get out of your own way just as much as it is about anything else.

Your other challenge is also learning how to slip and dodge all the wild misconceptions that anxiety is throwing at you right now. Because unlike the film, you’d be better off avoiding those nasty uppercuts, the very real blows that for you come in the form of hypochondria, fits of panic, and the all the rest of it.

So, OK, you and Rocky have some similarities, but what else can he teach us?

Rocky also teaches us that despite your self-doubt, and despite what seem to be impossible odds, you still got a shot at winning. In short, you can still do this.

It’s true that anxiety dishes out mental beatings like it’s going out of style, and that it can bring you down, sometimes way down. It can even make you lose hope and feel defeated, tired, and depressed. But no matter where you’re at in your struggle, even if you’re on the canvas face down, you can still get up.

“Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place and it will beat you down to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it… You, me, or nobody is gonna 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.” — Rocky Balboa

And not only that, you can get up with the firm belief that you can win.

Belief is powerful. A strong belief can help you do awesome things, things that you thought were inconceivable.

Ultimately, if you believe something with conviction, then it’s as good as true.

So then, believe that you can win this fight, believe that you’re going to be OK, believe that you will be who you once were. If you do this, and combine this belief with daily action to eliminate abnormal anxiety, then good things will happen.

Side-Note: If you can’t see the images or video in your email or reader then go to Anxietyguru.net to check out the visuals.