Finding My Anchor

An anchor is a heavy object use to keep a ship from drifting. It keeps the ship grounded through a strong storm. We need anchors too. Something that can keep us centered when things get out of control. Something we can go to that allows us to reset, something that recharges our minds. It's important to find a proper anchor, not a drug, a late night booty call, alcohol, etc. You must find your own anchor. What works for me might not work for you.

What is my anchor? You might have already guessed from the cover photo. My anchor is the gym. There's something about the weights that anchor me. When I put on my headphones and hear the driving guitars and pounding drums of Metal cranking out of the speakers all bets are off. It's just me and the weights now. In grabbing that bar or dumbbell I don't zone out. I zone in, my focus is on lifting that weight, giving maximum effort for each rep. The burn of the muscle from lactic acid building up inside of them. Being on the verge of screaming because it feels like your muscle is on fire, but you will yourself to push past that pain and keep lifting.

It doesn't matter how tired, stressed, and sick I am. If I'm not feeling like it, don't have any motivation, I still get up and go. I will force myself to go because I always feel better after a workout. I don't feel bad about myself for not going. It's my actual body that feels cruddy, my joints don't feel right, my muscles get tight, I'm actually more tired if I don't workout.

When I'm stressed, angry, sad, I just pour that emotion into the weights. Whatever it is, it doesn't matter. The weights don't care about how I feel, they couldn't give one shit about me. They don't pat me on the back and go at least you tried after I failed a lift. They just slam into the ground or bang against the rack announcing my failure. Do I care? Yes, I failed to complete the lift. Will I let the failure destroy me? No, now more than ever I'm coming for that weight. It got me once before I'm not going to let it get me again. It's that "Never Settle" mindset that keeps me going back, keeps me pushing when I have nothing left in the tank.

"No magic formula or secret to success. I'm up at 4 am daily and puttin' in the hard work that I know my competition is not willin' to do. If they're willin' to get up at 4, then you can bet your ass I'm gettin' up at 3. And if they're willin' to get up at 3 am then well... I'll be getting up at 2:59 cause that's just bullshit.

I don't pretend to do it. I do it. Daily. It's my anchor and will always be my edge over my competition. You don't have to wake up at the ass-crack of 4 am dawn to find your anchor. Whatever it is that gives you "your edge" over everyone around you - then that's what you do. You find it, you apply it and you protect it.

Whether it's your co-worker, teammates, classmates, or business associates.. the Anchor Philosophy applies to every facet of our lives." - Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson