RustyRenewed2016
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- Jul 7, 2016
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It’s Tuesday Morning at 5:30. After wiping the sleep from my eyes and getting ready for the hour trek into the office to do a job that seems like a 20 year version of Groundhog Day, I notice an unslept bed in the corner. A bed that’s been vacated for a couple nights now, ever since the news came on Sunday, news that’s nowhere close to a Groundhog Day scenario.
Imagine trying to fall asleep with every single muscle fiber in your body completely exhausted and sore to the point you can’t move without pain, your mind constantly racing, thinking, preparing for 7 weeks out, to battle a former teammate in front of what could be the whole gulf coast. This is the life now for an MMA fighter, but not just any MMA fighter, a 37 year old MMA fighter named BJ Lawrence that has defeated youth, injuries, altitude, demons inside and out, naysayers, and any obstacle that comes into his path.
I made my way downstairs to 2 very energetic pups, and as I cast my glance upward I see the sleeping champion peacefully asleep on the couch, but over the course of almost a year, I know now that last night was anything but restful or peaceful. Looking at those 2 pups so excited it was the start of a new day, I thought how energetic BJ’s mind was last night as he tried to rest, but instead of being excited about a new day, he was excited about the start of this new endeavor.
I’ve known this man for almost a year now and his world is so far and different from the one I came from. I never knew a fighter let alone watched any kind of fight up until a year ago. Over the course of the year I have had many conversations with BJ about fighting, read articles and blogs and watched many fights, I was trying to be understanding, accepting and caring about what he was facing and going through, but I just wasn’t getting it. Until today. You have to put yourself aside, all of yourself, all that you know and are accustomed to in order to even scratch the surface of what these athletes go through. Being selfish won’t work when you are in the presence of a fighter, to truly understand how hard their job is you have to let go of anything about yourself and then you can see with an open heart and eyes what’s going on. This profession is not like getting up at 5:30 every morning, driving an hour to an office, beating a keyboard and having conference calls. It’s mental and physical, problem solving, dedication, pushing yourself to limits normal human beings could never accomplish. It takes a certain kind of person to do what BJ does and become what he has become. I knew all of this with my mind before but it never got into my heart.
This morning as I saw him lay there and over the course of the last couple days from the moment the news came, it all clicked. I’m not sure why it took so long for me to get it, but I’m pretty sure it was because I was in the way. I can honestly say I’ve never been more proud of someone than I am BJ. His story is a classic….full of perseverance, dedication, and overcoming adversity. He’s talented, intelligent, and charismatic in everything he does. He’s an overcomer and a professional. He will be successful and triumphant no matter what comes his way.
To be successful you must surround yourself with successful people, people who challenge you, who push you to be a better you, who love you and accept you even with all of your faults, but encourage you in loving ways to change because they see your potential and don’t want to see you lose or miss out on something amazing.
As this story unfolds into greater excitement and the adventure grows, I know for a fact that BJ Lawrence will show the world who he is and they will be drawn in to his web of greatness.
Imagine trying to fall asleep with every single muscle fiber in your body completely exhausted and sore to the point you can’t move without pain, your mind constantly racing, thinking, preparing for 7 weeks out, to battle a former teammate in front of what could be the whole gulf coast. This is the life now for an MMA fighter, but not just any MMA fighter, a 37 year old MMA fighter named BJ Lawrence that has defeated youth, injuries, altitude, demons inside and out, naysayers, and any obstacle that comes into his path.
I made my way downstairs to 2 very energetic pups, and as I cast my glance upward I see the sleeping champion peacefully asleep on the couch, but over the course of almost a year, I know now that last night was anything but restful or peaceful. Looking at those 2 pups so excited it was the start of a new day, I thought how energetic BJ’s mind was last night as he tried to rest, but instead of being excited about a new day, he was excited about the start of this new endeavor.
I’ve known this man for almost a year now and his world is so far and different from the one I came from. I never knew a fighter let alone watched any kind of fight up until a year ago. Over the course of the year I have had many conversations with BJ about fighting, read articles and blogs and watched many fights, I was trying to be understanding, accepting and caring about what he was facing and going through, but I just wasn’t getting it. Until today. You have to put yourself aside, all of yourself, all that you know and are accustomed to in order to even scratch the surface of what these athletes go through. Being selfish won’t work when you are in the presence of a fighter, to truly understand how hard their job is you have to let go of anything about yourself and then you can see with an open heart and eyes what’s going on. This profession is not like getting up at 5:30 every morning, driving an hour to an office, beating a keyboard and having conference calls. It’s mental and physical, problem solving, dedication, pushing yourself to limits normal human beings could never accomplish. It takes a certain kind of person to do what BJ does and become what he has become. I knew all of this with my mind before but it never got into my heart.
This morning as I saw him lay there and over the course of the last couple days from the moment the news came, it all clicked. I’m not sure why it took so long for me to get it, but I’m pretty sure it was because I was in the way. I can honestly say I’ve never been more proud of someone than I am BJ. His story is a classic….full of perseverance, dedication, and overcoming adversity. He’s talented, intelligent, and charismatic in everything he does. He’s an overcomer and a professional. He will be successful and triumphant no matter what comes his way.
To be successful you must surround yourself with successful people, people who challenge you, who push you to be a better you, who love you and accept you even with all of your faults, but encourage you in loving ways to change because they see your potential and don’t want to see you lose or miss out on something amazing.
As this story unfolds into greater excitement and the adventure grows, I know for a fact that BJ Lawrence will show the world who he is and they will be drawn in to his web of greatness.
