As the Thanksgiving Holiday is among us, I start thinking about all the things I am grateful for in my life and this year, one particular thing came to mind and that was the power and strength to always dig deep...
There are times where you get the courage to move forward with a goal and plan every step and then out of nowhere, things don't go exactly as planned...This has been a constant occurence in my life that has taught me to dig deep!
Finding the strength and mental toughness to keep pushing, to keep plugging, to keep fighting is one of life's most daunting challenges. Sometimes we're up to the challenge, sometimes we're not. Or so we think.
Sports has been the greatest metaphor of life for me and I am forever grateful for each lesson learned. In 1996, I participated in my first Daily News NYC Golden Gloves. In my first match in the prelims, I fought a girl named Barbosa who had just got out of prison and her total focus was to eat me alive, but I gave her 3 standing eight counts and ended the bout in the 1st round. I moved to the semi-finals and faced the previous year's champion, Christine Bruno. I was the inexperienced younger fighter at the time & a huge underdog, but I ended up stopping her in the 2nd round and moving to the finals in Madison Square Garden. The championship match with Eileen Lacy was incredible and it seemed as if it was my night to shine, but the fight was too close and the decision did not go my way.
It was a devastating loss and I wasn't sure how to get back from that, but I was thankful to have faith and my trainer to help me believe that it was worth trying again. And so I did and came back to win 2 consecutive NYC Golden Gloves Titles, a National & International Title throughout the next few years! In addition to completing 16 Marathons throughout the past 15 years and competing in a variety of sports that totally take me out of my comfort zone. Sometimes, we just need to dig deep! We have more going for us than we sometimes believe; in fact, we have a whole lot more than we can possibly imagine. Deep down inside each of us dwells a limitless reservoir of untouched magic, a supernatural cache of power and strength capable of overcoming anything and everything thrown in our path.
This year, I faced all types of personal obstacles with my job, education and athletics. I am thankful that I am able to see these challenges as a way to teach me a lesson and make me stronger and more resilient. Whenever life starts smacking me around, I know I need to step back for a moment. And start digging deep. I listen to what my heart and soul tells me to do. The answers will come if you dig deep enough and long enough.
One of the events that taught me a valuable lesson and that I hold dear to my heart this year is the Men's Health Magazine NYC Urbanathlon. I dedicated 12-weeks of plyometrics, stair workouts and speed drills on the track during the crazy hot and humid NYC summer. The big day was on October 29th. Everything seemed to be going perfectly until a couple of days before the event where the temperature in NYC practically dropped 50 degrees and there was a threat of rain and snow for the day of the event. Just a few days before, NYC had been spoiled with great weather. The day had arrived and there was no turning back. One of my weakness and fear has always been the cold and rain, but this was another opportunity to face my fears and not give up no matter what.
The Urbanathlon truly tested me in every way and even though I did not win, I did finish among the top women and learned once again to get back up even when you get knocked down...
http://www.youtube.com/user/MHUrbanathlon?feature=mhee#p/a/u/0/_zd3-b5T4lE
Life can come at you really hard, testing your will and taxing your tenacity; testing and taxing it right to the hilt. And life can push you right to the wall, right to the breaking point on occasion. But that's OK as long as you remember that it's not what's happening on the outside that matters the most, but what you've got going on inside. And deep down, where it counts, you've got way more than enough.
So this Thanksgiving Holiday, I am thankful for my never-ending faith, my loved ones, my supporters and the ability to tap into the magic within by digging a little deeper when things don't go exactly as planned.
"Real riches are the riches possessed inside."
Wishing you all a very Happy & Healthy Holiday Season!
Much Love & Blessings,
Patricia "Patty Boom Boom" Alcivar
Professional Boxer, Competitive Runner &
Fitness/Commercial Model
Website: www.patriciaalcivar.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/PatriciaAlcivar
Blog: http://pattiboomboomsblog.blogspot.com
FB Fan Page: facebook.com/PatriciaPattyBoomBoomAlcivar
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