What Does The Bar Mean To Me?

What does this bar mean to me? My bar, and its burden, represents the difficult road to achieving personal greatness. We have our own ideas about what greatness looks like and this is defined by our personal struggles and desires. My struggle chews me up and my desire burns me up. These two feelings can be a lot to handle. But this inner dynamic creates an outer benefit too – laser-like focus that I crave and need. Life is full of so much noise – distractions, temptations, expectations and condemnations. Focus helps you get closer to greatness, and as you do, these distracting sounds become more distant – like my past.

I’ll never forget all of the pressure, bullying, jealousy and isolation that I experienced on a daily basis, and from a young age. From those closest to me to those I competed against, almost everyone thought I was crazy, or different, or both. Throughout my life, the weight of my dreams were suffocating. At times, I felt like they were impossible to reach. I struggled doing basic things like getting over my language barrier to make it through school, overcoming injuries, dealing with people I trusted turning their backs on me, and smiling at those who I looked up to – who said I wouldn’t make it. I met so much resistance and I realized it was putting up walls in my own mind.

But all this made me stronger. I realized that fear and doubt follow adversity. But this is a good thing. It told me I was becoming resilient, and that I was standing in front of an opportunity. It’s OK to worry about fear or failing. Just don’t let these things paralyze you and prevent you from moving forward. You can only develop resilience through resistance. The weights have taught me that. Life has taught me that.