Optimism for Boxing

You probably notice a pattern in my past articles that I value positive things. Positive things such as:

1. Doing your very best
2. having hard work, dedication and determination
3. being smart about priorities
4. believing that you can do it
5. being optimistic even when "chances are slim"
6. trying something new
7. having a can do attitude

I am very thankful for a great 2008, but as some of you know this was my most injury prone year also. Let me tell you about these injuries not to tell you that "I'm really good" but rather to drive a strong point about positive thinking. I suffered 2 injuries that required me wear casts. The latest injury was on my left foot last August. It was a "minor stress fracture" that I suffered while running. I was disappointed to be not able to work for a couple of weeks. My body kept on looking for the rigors of boxing training. Upon realizing that the best thing to do was to rest the foot, I then decided to write training programs and now some of you are using those.

The one prior to that happened in February when I suffered a wrist injury. That kept my left hand out of commission for 7 weeks. When I had that precious green cast on, never did I thought that I won't be able to train people. Right after I got out of the doctor's office I went straight to the gym and practiced training with one hand. I told myself "if you tell me what I can't do without my left, I will tell you what I can do with my right". For 7 weeks, my clients were trained by a one- armed boxing trainer. The result? The same as having a two- handed one. It took a little more effort from me but it was all worth it, a character- building experience indeed. Makes me give value to all my parts :)

Had I given up it would have been a different story. I wouldn't be writing this to at least help you realize that everything is doable if you have will power and you know the direction to want to go to.

WE SHOULD LEARN HOW TO WORK WITH WHAT WE HAVE. All of us should appreciate the things that are within our means. We can't keep on looking for the things we don't have. Patience is a good virtue--- we need to learn how to take things step by step. Stick to the positive. Without positive attitude, we are not going to be able to achieve great things and make that big difference in ourselves and others.

All that I have mentioned above can be applied to your boxing training workouts and of course, the bigger training program, life. I wish that all of us will have that positive attitude so that no matter what obstacles we are going to face, we have that inner drive to crush it.

About the Author
Lawrence Ragos is a Certified Boxing Trainer and the director of the Train Like a Boxer Program--- a boxing training system focusing on intense strength and conditioning workouts. His DVD Series and FREE ebook are available in his official website, www.trainlikeaboxer.com