A friend on facebook posted this tonight and it spread like wildfire. I can only come to one conclusion by the speed at which it traveled over the Internet. That all of us, no matter what are skill level is, struggle with our self-doubts, our fears, our insecurities, our pain. You don't even have to be a skater to feel this picture is spot on. Replace the word 'skate' with the word walk or run...it still applies. So I got to thinking, after watching this image race through facebook, that so many of us feel that we aren't good enough to skate, play, or be on a team of any sort. That we will only pull others down with us because our skills are so much lesser than what we think theirs are. We put others up on pedestals, like they are untouchable...gifted with their skills to keep the pack in line, to be the best jammer...as if there is nothing holding them back. We sit on the sidelines because we feel so unworthy.
What we don't keep in mind, is everyone struggles. Everyone runs out of steam and can't keep up with the pack. Everyone struggles becoming a great jammer. Everyone thinks their skills aren't good enough. We have all been there...Bambi on ice, not being able to do a single lap without falling. We have all struggled to learn the fine art of transitions, riding the line, and staying in the derby stance. With every lap everyone slowly and some a little quicker get better, get lower, get faster. Pretty soon what you once struggled with becomes second hand and you move onto the next area that you struggle with and then with time, that too becomes second hand and before you know it, you're on a team...jamming, blocking, being part of wicked falls and without a second thought you pop up and enter the pack again.
Life and derby are interchangeable. In both we struggle, fight, win, lose, learn and teach. We have all started this journey both life and derby...crawling and holding the rink walls just to stand up. Even the great Carmen Getsome, Re-AnimatHer, Pia Mess and Suzy Hotrod started by hugging the rink walls. Anything worth doing, is going to be hard. You are going to struggle. You are going to have to fight for what you want. No one is going to just hand you your dreams. So what I have learned tonight, I learned from derby...
1. You're going to get tired.
2. This is a marathon, not a sprint.
3. There will be days you kick ass.
4 There will be days you get your ass kicked.
5. There's not a damn thing wrong with going in circles as long as you are advancing your position.
6. You can't do everything all by yourself, that's why others are there to help share the burden.
7. You are going to have to fight to succeed.
8. You're going to be knocked down, just keep getting up.
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