Champion: The truth behind confidence.

"Special". Now that's a word that is thrown out in many particular scenarios, same with the word "Great".

At some point the frequent use of certain adjectives that should only be used to describe unique momentary circumstances of splendor, beauty, "greatness". Tend to lose their meaning.

Why? Because we don't attribute them to real occasions that truly manifest these words.

But what would be the criteria to attribute such adjectives? What is the standard that is held for them?

Let me tell you a story. A story about a man.

A mere mortal who at the time of his ascension had conquered all of the known world. One of the few men who aligned his vision with his actions. Created an empire that would be known for centuries long before his passing. A man whose name would destabilize the halls of foreign kings and bring strength to the hearts of his countrymen, the same men who would willingly give their lives to make his vision of a united world to reality.

The name was Alexander, a young Macedonian prince, son of Philip and the man who united the Greeks to the rest of the world. From Babylon to India, Alexander marched and conquered expanding his empire to the brinks of imagination.

What could drive a man to achieve such heights? What fire burned inside him to propel that man to the unthinkable?

• Purpose?
• Vision?
• Will?
• Dream?
• Capability?

You see from a young age Alexander was constantly recited his lineage, being told he was the son of Zeus. Not only that he was son of the king of Olympus, but that his lineage traced back to the blood line of Heracles and Achilles. From both his Philip and his mother's side.

Now, picture being the prince of a nation and growing up your whole life being reminded of that lineage. Not to mention your role as future king.

Your mind would go pretty far off, wouldn't it?

Regardless, it worked. That young G, set the standard future conquerors would follow for times to come.

How can you, in your life cultivate an unfeathered and unparalleled  fire that will transcend lifetimes? If Alexander did it before the time of the i phone and Amazon's drop shipping, I'm sure you can too.

So. From the facts I've given you. You got a peak into his development, how he viewed himself and the world.

The secret? His belief, a belief in something greater than himself. This belief and his ability to share it with others was ultimately his greatest gift.

Let me give you this gift. The gift of purpose, of belief.

First, how do we construct a belief system? Paradoxically, let's deconstruct what a belief is so we better understand the playing field. 

A belief system is merely a set of ideas that have been backed up by certain reference experiences. So we basically have the result of an action. Better yet a reaction to an involuntary or voluntary action.

Normally this set of beliefs or ideas is ingrained into a psyche at a young age, during our early development. That's how most people navigate life, with preconceived notions and ideas brought upon them during their nurturing. Better said involuntary reactions.

My goal is simple. For you to arrive to your conclusions of what the world is and create your own set of beliefs. That's why I urge you to be as open minded and educated as possible. The more reference points you have the better of an assessment you will make.

The name of the people who chose to believe something different? Go to a history book, and look up all the people who changed the course of humanity. By setting a path and not simply following one.

Let me tell you something. Alexander knew his purpose, he knew he was meant for something more than existence. That is was greater than himself. This belief propelled him, this same belief applied in modern times. Has helped many individuals achieve wonders.

An example that is close to my heart are combat sports, such champions as Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Jon Jones, McGregor, Michael Chandler honestly any fighter with a burning fire inside of them. Have the same belief that match their talents and attributes.

Muhammad Ali said it best:

"I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was.'

This overall should encapsulate the mentality of a champion, to have the character, courage and strength in belief to trust in your own capabilities.

Remember a while back, when I said that  the way to create a belief system is to find evidence for such belief?

That is a secret to this mindset, capabilities. More so your trust in them. Keep the following phrase in the back of your mind at all time.

Confidence = Capabilities

Skills = Assets

The great thing about this, is that it is 100% under your control or in direct access to your circle of influence.

Wanna learn? Learn.

Wanna do something? Do it.

The person telling you this? A combat athlete, life coach, writer, artist, entrepreneur, among a few other things. Who might I add is pretty good at those endeavors.

I don't tell you this to boast, I tell you this to help shatter the next topic. Limiting beliefs.

You see limiting beliefs are one of those things (Chael Voice), that has stopped many people from achieving or following their true passions. It has killed more dreams, than any other blown out knee or rejected proposal from investors. Could you imagine if Elon Musk had them? Ali? Tyson? Julius Ceaser?

What would anyone achieve if they used their limits as a reference point?

If I'm being completely honest with you, which I am. All the motherfucking time. There would already be a cure for cancer if it weren't for this phenomena. Out of all the people who have lived and existed from the 1900's up until now, all around the world. You would think about that at least one, would have come up with a pretty descent clue.

I know bold claim. Yes, cancer is a way more complicated then it seems and much more unpredictable. But, if there was a kid in Venezuela. That was told he couldn't study science or medicine and he listened. Yet he was the one God, Allah, The universe, Krishna whatever you wanna call it, Sent to cure cancer. Wouldn't they be a little pissed off, at humanities lack of trust in themselves? 

If Francis Ngannou would have listened to the "norm", to "what made sense". Would he have become one of the best mixed martial artists on the planet and no less, the UFC Heavyweight Champion of the world? Not only beating, but dominating and knocking out the greatest heavyweight of all time former champion of the world, Stipe Miocic.

An overview of Francis Ngannou's background's story?

• Born in Cameroon, Africa.
• Ate food from the trash, to survive.
• Started physical labor, working on a sand mine at 10 yrs old.
• Fled from Africa to any part of the world, ended up in Paris. A journey that lasted 14 month journey to chase his dreams.
• He was arrested no less than 6x times, crossing the border.
• Homeless in the streets of Paris.
• Signed with the UFC in 2015, basically only 8 years of MMA training.

With those stats, would you think it would be possible for him to achieve what he has achieved? The only 2 things he had, was incredible power on his hands and an unbroken, unparalleled will to achieve that which his heart dreamed of.

Now you can bet during those moments, he had doubts and fears.

But in his mind the will to succeed was heavier than that of loss.

Imagine if he had listened to his fears? Imagine all that potential, stopped on it's tracks. Just because of the words "I can't", "I could never", " That could never be me".

Those words you speak to yourself matter. Your inner dialogue will either make you into the greats or crumble you into the forgotten.

We as humans like to fulfill expectations. It doesn't matter whose, we just want the validation shot it brings. High achievers, fulfill their own expectations. We fulfill our own prophesies, we write our own stories.

So write it. The path starts in your mind, carve it into reality.

Take this mindset as tools. Carve them into your psyche.

•  If you're gonna do something, the go and fucking do it.
• Playing not to lose, is losing. Play to win.
• The multiple assailants analogy. If eight mfs come at me with bats and knives, I might go out. But if I go, I'm taking four of them with me.

Those mindsets all have in common the same dichotomy.

High Risk = High Reward

In one word, Glory. Playing to win, the idea of "Losing" becoming extinct from your mind.

But then again we need the courage, the bravery, the strength of will to fuel and further those mindsets. How do we hone that?

The key behind courage, bravery, BDE? Trust, but not trust in the outside world. Trust in yourself, in your skills, knowledge, assets. In your ability to handle the world and make it your sublime bitch.

Confidence and the will to assert yourself. That is bravery, a solid combination of inner and outer alignment. Once you have a solid inner base., Then it's much more easier, effective, congruent, better yet more real. To assert your will upon reality. To move forward from a strong stance, having a solid foundation to build.

Now, trust is one equation of that inner world. The other way to build a solid inner base, is something that can be profoundly through this brands history. That is the idea of having those core traits/ values, not only having them but sticking to them regardless of the universe imploding in itself.

Behaving in accordance with your core values, regardless of circumstance. Will act as micro steps, more so subtle internal habits that wil help you solidify that inner world and in term get your brain accustomed to discomfort.

Slightly pushing into your edges, going into your fears.

Let me tell you what fear truly is. It's a signal your brain gets. If we base it on evolutionary psychology, it's what your ancestors used to not get eaten by a tiger. It's a response that increases alertness and gives you an adrenaline boost. That's why most people experience anxiousness when they feel fear, they don't know how to channel that adrenaline boost.

But you see, you and I are not most people. That adrenaline boost is excitement. It's a direction to our path, our glory. A giant that calls to be conquered, a bitch that needs a dad.

Another way to see fear. Might be the following. Most of the time what scares us is not the action or the result itself, but rather the thought of it. Of what "could happen". This is what most people call overthinking, going in an imaginary tangent and stop being present in the moment, disconnecting from reality.

Think about it (HA). Your probably are scared of getting into a cage with a tiger, you probably think of all the gruesome things it can do to you. But believe me in the moment all those thoughts would not exist. You would be to busy being present in the moment either running, fighting it with whatever you had in hand, playing with it Mike Tyson style or getting eaten.

Never the less, the point is the thought of  something mixed with any sort of emotion is more exaggerated than the reality of it. So be her now. Jumping in freezing water is not as bad as the thought of it.

Fear is useful it keeps us alive, we might, will, could feel it. The sign lies in not overcoming it. In not stepping up and reaping your glory.

So go and lean into your edges. Take the jump, see you on the other side.

Big Love

- A