When I find myself with my back planted firmly against "the wall", I usually tend to be able to find this "zone" where things are much more vivid than what my normal perspective can offer. This clarity takes on the properties of a very bright and intense light source. It's me in HD, so to speak; that very instant where I begin to function at a vastly superior level on almost all fronts, until the storm is past.
Several years ago, I was driving my brand new SUV towards Brooklyn from Philly one morning, at around 5 am. I was battling sleep after partying all night, and I probably (epic understatement) should have slept for a while on the side of the road, but absurdly, and against my better judgment, all I could think about was getting home. The last thing I remembered before things went black for a few seconds, was slapping myself, and turning Peedi Crack's "RRRRING" up to full blast, while doing like 85 mph on Interstate 295, hoping to be able to keep my eyes open for just-one-more-hour.
Ridiculously obvious note to self: You don't always get what you hope for...
When my eyes finally opened after what seemed like an eternity, I found myself careening into a ditch at breakneck speeds, headed straight for a huge tree, which, in essence, was rapidly morphing into my express train to the "afterlife".
4 seconds... Panic? Brace up? Close my eyes? Pray?
Its amazing how many things you can think of in just 4 seconds. I'll leave the details to your imagination, except to say that about 10 seconds later, I found myself back on the Interstate, climbing out of my moonroof, with nothing more than a few scratches on my left arm, a demolished vehicle, and a torn sleeve.
Me HD...
I take no credit for my response time, and definitely not for the way that 4 seconds slowed down on some NEO and the Matrix type ish, but my point in all of this is to illustrate what a human being can do, against all odds, with something so simple, and yet so absolutely powerful.
Sheer WILL...
My will compels me to reach for things that people say I can never reach, it protects me from my own mind, which is the only real threat to my security, it urges me to seek my God in times of trouble, and above all, it forces me to square up, with my feet firmly rooted, after every single stumble that this world can try to set before me.
I make Holidays from Solemn days, so rather than break down in trying times, just raise your glasses with me, and let us toast to life and the things that make us ALL truly exceptional...
Here's a great example of someone who beat almost insurmountable odds by sheer brute force will, literally:
Click here for a quick read on this amazing little dude, who just so happens to rule the entire boxing world.
No comments:
Post a Comment