He would really do horrible at his training because he would let his emotions get the best of him. He loved Adrian so much, that he let her get in front of his dreams and she was a decisive distraction. It was only when Adrian truly understood his deep and personal desire to simply “win” his dream that she could love him and condone his actions.
His love for Adrian had not only pushed him to pursue his dream again, but also, it had amplified his desire to win, and he wasn’t just fighting for himself. He was fighting for everything that he loved, Adrian, his family, and his love for boxing.
So the thing that I was just inspired by, to write this was where Sylvester Stallone’s character said something that really made me think. In the ring, in the final fight with Creed, he had to go over to his corner in between a particular round, before he could realize the fervor of the moment. When he did, he told his trainer, “I’m not going down anymore.”
He took a swig of his water, threw the towel back down, got his fighting face back on, and was ready to fight. That’s what made him win. What was covering up his sadness, through-out the movie, after his first fight and before his last was his “sense of humor,” always wanting to be kind, caring on the outside, and wanting to be a pleasurable person.
But, in his truth, with this facade, he was just running from his dream, the thing that he had personally wanted, all of his career. In love with his compassion, he and Adrian kept his dream at a stand-still. The reason I see such detail in all of this is because this is my life. When I “...go down...” then it isn’t the fists of Apollo that come knocking on my door; it’s my bed and my eyelids, and my sleep.
I’ve been training “...like a bum...” and I have been using my “...left hand...” to fight instead of my right, but what I need to realize is what Rocky realized, when sitting in that corner, in that last fight, when he said, “I’m not going down anymore.”
That is this:
...If I don’t win now, then I’ll lose everything that means everything to me. - JMD (Jeremy M. Dinovo, 2005)
2:14PM I guess that, in conclusion, Buddha didn’t teach him too much about achieving success in an individualistic, capitalized society. Sorry about this, Marx, but I’ve got to be able to get on top in order to help those at the bottom. Nietzsche, if I don’t serve myself then I won’t be alive to be served later. I’ve had enough “...boxing with my left hand...”.
Besides, Rocky was lucky anyways. He had Adrian and a trainer as an accelerant. All I’ve got out here, in my corner is me, but I’ve got my water, I’ve got my realization of living or dying completely, and I’ve got my dream. Now, let’s see if I can stop being a bum and start fighting for it, instead of “...laying down in front of him [Apollo Creed]...” to let my self-doubt and personal anguish “...kick...[my]...face into pieces.”
2:37P.M. the water is still good. You can’t be a lover if you’re not a fighter. Things this precious must be pursued to be kept alive. The dream will live. 2:40PM The computer, “...my left arm...”, is disabled now. It’s time to fight, and in this ring, no one but me can contend. There can be no help from the outside, because the problem is ‘within’. “You’re goin’ down.”...”No way.” -Rocky II. 4:07PM Before you think of giving up, either tell yourself or have someone tell you brutally, that will fail and that there is no way to survive. Then say, “No way.” (4:09PM) Think about what your dream means, and think about losing everything, all because you gave it all up, right when you had it all. All you had to do was fight, and fight as hard as you know you could. Don’t lay down when you know you can win. Make yourself proud beyond belief, achieve something...for yourself.
The thing that you battle, the most evil thing, the most torturous creature, the one that can look you straight into the eyes without any fear and without any resistance, that thing lives inside of you. You have to battle it, overcome it, and just like Rocky did, fight it, and you will win the title. I am not talking about Satan, or any archetypal evil entity, but I am talking about your own doubt. You have to step into the ring with that thing, and you have to do it all by yourself, otherwise, you will not have won anything. Doubt will have conquered your ability to trust in yourself. Close everything off, and open your mind’s eye to your most doubtful fears, and to the thing that says for you to lie down and give up. Talk straight to it, and know it, and you will overthrow it. Fight.
Win.
Your life is on the line, and your doubt knows it.