Inspiration From Rocky
Balboa
By Yukitee T
"My father is a popular, highly successful boxer. I am constantly
walking in his big shadow. So, people can't see me and they don't
take me seriously. I can't be successful because of this".
This is the belief of the son of Rocky Balboa.
A young man in his twenties, he is not doing well in his career
and blames his father for his failure.
But Rocky has this to say to his son:
You ain’t going to believe this. But you
used to sit right here. I hold you up and say to your mother, this
kid’s going to be the best kid in the world. This kid’s going to
be somebody better than anybody I ever knew.
Then you grew up good and wonderful, it was
great just watching you everyday. It was like a privilege. Then
the time comes for you to be your own man and take on the world,
and you did.
But somewhere along the line, you changed,
you stopped being you. You let people stick a finger in your face
and tell you you’re no good. And when things got hard you start
looking for something to blame – like the big shadow.
Let me tell you something you already knew.
The world, there ain’t no sunshine and
rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place. And I don’t care how
tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there
permanently if you let it. You, me or nobody is going to hit as
hard as life.
But it ain’t about how hard you hit, it’s
about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much
you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done.
Now if you know what you are worth, then go
out and get what you are worth. But you must be willing to take
the hits and not pointing fingers and say you ain’t where you want
to be because of him or her or anybody. Cowards do that and that
ain’t you. You are better than that.
I am always going to love you no matter
what. No matter what happens. You are my son, you are my blood,
you are the best thing in my life.
But until you start believing in yourself,
you ain’t gonna have a life.
Most of us deserve this same lecture from
Rocky Balboa. Many of us are like his son. We tend to lay blame or
justify our failures so that we don’t feel responsible for our own
shortcomings.
Rocky is right in saying, "It ain't about
how hard you hit, it's about how hard you can get
hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving
forward. That's how winning is done."
There is much we can learn from him.
Yukitee T is a staunch believer in the
power of positive thinking. As an avid reader of
self-improvement books since young, she has successfully
practiced many of the principles employed by mental warriors
- constantly fighting off negative thoughts. You can
instantly download a popular free ebook from her website at
http://www.discover2earn.com
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Rocky (1976)
By Leonardo Faria
Year: 1976
Genre: Drama
Category: Boxing
Status: DVD
Time: 119 min.
Rated: PG
Synopsis:
Rocky is the stand-up-and-cheer saga of Rocky Balboa an underdog
boxer who gets his million-to-one shot at love, self-respect, and
the world heavyweight title. Rocky is a down-on-his-luck
Philadelphia southpaw who works at a meat-packing factory while
fighting at a local club. He's given the chance of a lifetime when
the world heavyweight champion, Apollo Creed, chooses him as an
unlikely opponent in his championship bicentennial fight. What was
originally planned as a publicity stunt becomes a chance for Rocky
to prove himself as a prizefighter while training with his
cantankerous manager, Mickey, to rise to the challenge. Thrilling
scenes of Rocky's arduous training, including his unforgettable run
up the Philadelphia Art Museum steps, are interspersed with a sweet
and touching love story between the fighter and his best friend's
shy sister, Adrian. With the love of Adrian on his side, Rocky
struggles to overcome the odds, fighting with all his heart in the
glorious and brutal finale.
Director: John G. Avildsen
Writer: Sylvester Stallone
Producer: Richard Chartoff and Irwin Winkler
Company: Chartoff-Winkler Productions and United Artists
Cast:
Sylvester Stallone (Rocky Balboa)
Talia Shire (Adrianna "Adrian" Pennino)
Burt Young (Paulie)
Carl Weathers (Apollo Creed)
Burgess Meredith (Mickey Goldmill)
Thayer David (Jergens)
Joe Spinell (Gazzo)
Jimmy Gambina (Mike)
Bill Baldwin (Fight Announcer)
Al Silvani (Cut Man)
George Memmoli (Ice Rink Attendant)
Jodi Letizia (Marie)
Diana Lewis (TV Commentator)
George O'Hanlon (TV Commentator)
Larry Carroll (TV Interviewer)
Frank Stallone (Streetcorner Singer)
Joe Frazier (Himself)
Trivia:
. Rocky says "cut my eye" during the fight scene, if you watch
closely you can see the man actually squeeze a tube full of red
stuff inches away from his eye. It's really quite funny...
. In the last fight scene, particularly during the close-ups of the
fighters, you can clearly see in numerous shots that the auditorium
seats are empty. This is contrasted with the earlier shots where it
is jam packed as the fighters are entering the ring.
. About half way through the
movie, Adrian gives Rocky a dog (Butkus). The second time Rocky goes
to the the meatpacking plant, the dog is with him when he walks in,
but he walks out alone and the dog is not seen again in this movie.
. At the end of the movie when
Adrian is climbing into the ring, Rocky turns to her and for a very
short time you can see the line between the make-up appliance used
on his right eye to make him look beat up and the skin of his right
cheekbone as well.
More informations check at
Sport Movies Digest
