Enjoy the ride

            We all have things in our lives that we want, that we work for and dream about. Most of us feel that once we get that thing everything else in our lives will be different, they be better. We have this goal and we put all of our thoughts into achieving it but far too often, we forget to enjoy everything along the way.

            I will compare this to what it can be like preparing for a fight. I would be training endlessly, never taking breaks, never easing back, always pushing it to the limits and dreading the unending, difficult days that I knew I would have to go through, particularly those last few hell weeks. All I wanted to do was get to that moment where I could finally get in the ring and do what I love.

            I would bust my ass, of course, but often I was just going through the motions of training that would ultimately all lead up to this goal. The fight day would finally arrive, it would happen and then, in an instant, it would all be over. Afterwards, regardless of the outcome, I would be left with an empty feeling inside of me. A sadness, almost a depression. It was because my whole life had been centered around this one moment in time. Each and every second of every day was focused and geared toward getting right here. I worked so hard, and sacrificed so much… and then, it would be over. It would be gone. I realized that all those days of hard training that I would dread and get through as fast as possible, were just as valuable and great as the fight day. I realized that I was rushing through my life. Sure, it might not be as exciting or fulfilling as the actual fight, but I am getting to, quite literally, live my dreams every day, why would I rush through or dread that?

            What I'm trying to say is don't think that once you reach this goal that everything is just going to magically be wonderful or different. If you aren't happy with five dollars in your pocket, you won't be happy with five million. Having goals and dreams is an extremely important part of life. I believe that we all need to have these things, that we all need to push ourselves and go after them. But don't think that once you get there that it's going to miraculously change your life and change who you are. Enjoy the moment. Enjoy the right now!

            Yes, that goal should drive and motivate us, but we must not forget to enjoy the struggle, enjoy the difficult times, the ups and the downs. We are not going to be here forever, maybe one hundred years’ tops. Enjoy the moments that we have. The good and the bad, they are all meaningful so appreciate them and ENJOY THE RIDE! 

-Kevin Ross