Perseverance Pays

Good day all.
Welcome to another "Blue Corner".
I have just surpassed the 140th entry in this blog, and almost 50 000 views.

The key is perseverance. 

I have been writing these entries since I decided I wanted to compete again. That was over three years ago.  November 2, 2010 to be exact.

I am disappointed, because I am still hearing people tell me that they are too old to box.
Why am I doing all this, then?
I may as well stop writing this blog, stop training, and forget about competing. 
I will just check myself into a retirement home, since I am "too old" to do anything.

Do you know what that is? That is giving up. Giving up on life, and giving up on yourself.

I don't ever want to hear that come from some body's mouth again.

To put this into perspective, my dad managed a Home Depot until he was 76. 
He ran around that store for 10 hours a day. He climbed up ladders, and took heavy product down from the top shelf. He ran circles around the younger guys.
This is another example of 'perseverance'. There was no way my dad was going to check into a home. 
Unfortunately, Alzheimers took over and he had to quit, but the man kept going until then.

Here is a photo that sums up everything:

This thumbnail is of a video. The video is actually a PSA about sensible gambling, knowing when to stop. Where the slogan is "Perseverance Does Not Always Pay." 
Well, maybe not for gambling, but for boxing it does.

Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHsdyiUrSck

The point is, I do not write this just to complain. That comes with the territory. 
I am trying to provide a real-life example of what happens when you focus on something, keep at it, and keep raising the bar.

Eventually, I will be back in that ring again, and hopefully come out with a winning trophy.

My goal is to be in the Pan-Am Games. 
In all honesty, I don't think I have a hope in hell of being on the Pan-Am team. However, when you pursue something as I am doing, you need an ultimate goal. Even, if it seems out of reach. Without goals, we would not achieve anything.

This applies not only to sports, but to life in general.
In an odd way, you can look at life as one long round of boxing. 
Sometimes, you will get knocked down., then you get up again, or take a really bad beating against the ropes, you shake it off and keep going. Keep fighting.
Sometimes, you are the one giving life a beating. 
Those are good times, but they don't happen without a bit of work...
...Perseverance.

Normally, I would end it here, but I wanted to share a sign I saw at Bloor Fitness. 
It was not there last week:

Amazing. 
That is all I have to say about that.

Also, for those who have been following my weigh-ins, I am now one pound away from my goal of 188.
This is going quite well for me. 
Do you think I will be happy at 188? 
Probably not. 
Here is an example of raising the bar.
How about 185?
I have lost over 20 pounds in 6 months, and this was after I had stopped taking any fitness classes.
What does that tell you?
Hey, I am not saying anything bad about fitness classes. They are great for some people, but obviously they did not work for me.
I did this all on my own.

Perseverance.

Cheers.