My grandfather had this ornery old horse named Boots. He was so named because of the white markings on his feet.
Wow, how original!
Anyway, a five-year-old Ryan wanted to ride that beast. Why in the world would I want to do such a thing? It’s not like I could put logic to the situation. I just wanted to ride the horse!
What do you know? I fell! I have a scar under my lower lip which will be a constant reminder of that old nag!
I don’t remember actually being thrown from Boots. I do remember lying on the ground with mom and granddaddy standing over me asking if I was alright. I wasn’t crying. I don’t remember hurting. I was bleeding. But otherwise, I was chill.
The next day I was back on Boots and rode him.
That wasn’t an elaborate analogy about “getting back on the horse” but it actually happened.
Here I am looking back on that story and I realized something. That was the first time I took ownership of my life.
There will always be a better you available to you if you take ownership of your life
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But what does “own your life” actually mean? I think we can all come with our own definitions but here’s mine: never be satisfied, never be complacent, and never stop trying. There will always be a better you available to you if you take ownership of your life.
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Here’s my favorite example of someone who took ownership of their life.
Arthur was an Army paratrooper who fought in Operation Desert Storm and retired after his body took years of abuse from repeated jumps. A paratrooper jump is far different than a sport skydiving jump. The object is to get you on the ground safely but as quickly as possible so you can surprise the enemy in combat.
Arthur is 5’6” tall. After retiring, he took a desk job where he ballooned to 300 pounds. He couldn’t walk without crutches. Forget doing any sort of exercise. His legs were in such bad shape that his doctors told him he’d never be able to walk without the canes again.
What did Arthur do? He essentially told his doctor – f-you!
Arthur started practicing yoga. He found the yoga system developed by former pro wrestler Diamond Dallas Page. He started working out every day with this system and managed to lose 100 pounds in six months. He’s down to about 140 pounds now and is in the best shape of his life.
As remarkable as this is on the surface there is a YouTube video that illustrates his change better than anything. Here’s a guy who we saw stumbling and barely able to walk. The transformation is mind-blowing.
No matter who you are and no matter what your life circumstances are, there is something to live for. You love someone and someone loves you. Take that pain and make it work for you.
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At the end of the video, the camera is set up in a field. Here comes Arthur walking down the roadway. He picks up his gait into a power walk. Then damned if he doesn’t pick it up into a full on sprint.
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No matter who you are and no matter what your life circumstances are, there is something to live for. You love someone and someone loves you. Take that pain and make it work for you.
Because when you give up, you allow your personal demons to own your life and you have no control. I saw my mom’s and dad’s personal demons take control and end up owning their lives. I don’t want to see that happen to anyone else and I’ll be damned if I see that happen to me!
I’d like to issue a challenge. For the next thirty days, do something healthy every day for you. And do something healthy every day for someone else. This doesn’t have to be a major life change, but make an effort. This can be something as simple as starting a meditation practice. Or taking thirty minutes to ask someone “how are you” and let them talk. No matter what you do, make it a habit for thirty days.
Simple changes can yield life changing and life affirming results.
Never be satisfied, never be complacent, and never stop trying. It doesn’t matter who you are; if you own your life and don’t let your life own you then you can move mountains.
The human spirit is an amazing thing. Each and every one of us has that unquenchable human spirit. You may need someone to be a stand for you and give you a swift kick in the ass from time to time. You may need a shoulder to cry on. But if you own your life, you can move mountains.
Perhaps that first step to owning your life is to reach out to me? You can do that through my website: team-ryan.team. By twitter: twitter.com/ryanhallwrites. Or by email: [email protected].
Take a step today to own your life. You’ll be glad you did.
Photo by DeWitt Clinton