Have you ever heard a college athlete talk about, "The Grind?" You probably have, but just didn't seem to give a crap about what it really meant. Too many times during the week do I hear other athletes complain and moan about how their lives suck, how there's no free time, and having to go to study tables all tired and what not. What I truly don't understand among athletes is that what did you exactly expect when you became a college athlete? That everything will be handed to you like in high school? To already be, "The guy or girl?" Very funny, welcome to college, where you actually have to work for what you want.

Now, to explain what, "The Grind," is, pretty much it's the process of waking up, going to class, practice, and study tables everyday of your athletic career. Might not sound so bad, but repeating it every single day does flat out suck, but it's the price you pay to be a top-notch athlete. As a college athlete, I would be lying if I never heard the phrase, "Keep grinding." For a long time I didn't really know what it meant, and I admire the phrase because when you keep grinding, you're pushing yourself to limits that you might have thought were impossible. Motivational speaker and former Tennessee Volunteer football player Inky Johnson once said, "It's not about the product it's about the process!" Basically what this means is that whatever your goal is in life, don't worry or focus on the end result, because really if you think about it, the journey will be a very rewarding, learning process. Sometimes life is not going to turn out the way you intended it to be, and that's fine. How you can handle adversity will show who you are. Inky Johnson was a potential first-round draft pick in the NFL before a fatal spine injury cost him his senior year. Did he just harp on his injury the rest of his life? NO, Inky, despite not being able to play football anymore, graduated from Tennessee with a degree in sports psychology and continues to do motivational speaking today, according to his website www.inkyjohnson.com.

So to my next point, if you are an athlete, I would suggest stop complaining about being an athlete. Trust me, you're not the only athlete that feels the way you do, most of us do, but what can separate you from others is how you attack everyday with a positive attitude and give everything you got. There's always a million reasons why you might not want to wake up, go to class, practice, study tables, etc., but can you even imagine how many people would kill to be in your spot? I don't know the exact statistic, but it's a pretty huge majority. Be thankful you are apart of a small percentage of people playing college athletics. Your parents sent you to college to do great things and get an education, pay them back by sticking with the process and succeeding, nothing makes them more proud than watching you play a sport you love.

Finally, if there's something to remember from this article, it's to be happy that you have a chance to play college athletics, because not everyone can, and not everyone will finish, but don't be that athlete that quits when something doesn't go right. Be the athlete that thrives when your back is against the wall, that isn't afraid from any challenge thrown at them. "I hated every second of training, but I said, "Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion," - Muhammad Ali.