I must say a word about fear. It is life’s only true opponent. Only fear can defeat life. It is clever, treacherous adversary, how well I know. It has no decency, respects no law or convention, shows no mercy. It goes for your weakest spot, which it finds with unnerving ease. It begins in your mind, always. So you must fight hard to express it. You must fight hard to shine the light of words upon it. Because if you don’t, if your fear becomes a wordless darkness that you avoid, perhaps even manage to forget, you open yourself to further attacks of fear because you never truly fought the opponent who defeated you.
–Yann Martel, Author, Life of Pi

To speak to the quote above, what is your opponent? I’ve just thrown the gloves in your direction and you’re feet away from the opponent, what is in there? Who is in there? What is the root of your breakdown? Did you lose a job? Have absolutely no idea how you’re paying the bills? Actively looking for work to no avail? In so much debt you could form a vacation spot and swim in it? Have a deteriorating relationship with someone? Separated, divorced, miserable being single? Struggling in work or school? Ill from mental and/or physical impairments? Hate your weight or body? Insecure? Depressed? Really think about the moment that you submitted to this obstacle and said, “Alright, you win.” Now that you’ve recollected that moment, now say, “Maybe you won that one, but I’m reclaiming my strength.” It’s time for you to put those gloves on and kick the shit out of your opponent by getting to the root problem of how and why your opponent has caused you to break down.

Address your opponent. Really, and I mean REALLLLLY get Muhammad Ali on that sneaky, little antagonist of your life, and know that you don’t need to submit to it anymore. But, the first step is facing it.

And…

It’s time for Round 1!

Love and blessings, and always be + LIFTED,

Darryn