Drive is the force that keeps people up at night, makes them wake up early ready to start their day, and keeps them going even when everything in their world is falling apart around them. Drive comes from deep within a person’s core and is extremely hard to pinpoint, but when you encounter someone with a powerful drive, it is captivating.
Each individual has their own unique instances that are burned into their mind and stand out from all the others. These events, positive or negative, contribute to where their drive comes from and sticks with the individual for their entire lifetime.
In order to truly know where your drive comes from, you have to reflect upon your life. Each of us has had our own unique events, which helped shape our drive today.
There are two instances in my own life of which I reflect upon often- one as a young child and one as an adult.
The first instance takes my back to 4th grade. Gym class was naturally one of my favorite times of the day, and I only had one gear… FAST! Typically I got pretty sweaty after running around for 45 minutes, so after returning to my home room, I asked my teacher if I could go to the bathroom to wash up. She could have easily responded with a yes or no, but she decided to tell me, “Why are you even trying so hard. It’s just gym class. Gym class won’t get you anywhere.” As a 4th grader, I was shocked, to say the least, and returned to my seat dumbfounded. This woman just told me I would never achieve anything by doing something I loved. That’s one way to mold a young mind!
The second instance was during my contest season of 2015 where I competed in two pro shows; the first of which I won, and the second of which I placed seventh out of nine bodybuilders. During the eight-hour car ride back to Indiana from Minnesota, I had some time to reflect. I swore I would not get my butt handed to me like that ever again in my bodybuilding career, and I would do everything I could not to encounter that same feeling again.
On days where I don’t have the energy to train at my best, or think about stopping my cardio session a few minutes early, I reflect back upon these two instances. I think back to how much I have accomplished by sweating my butt off for countless hours. If only my teacher could see me now. When I’m feeling weak, I think back to how miserable I felt on that long car ride home and how I promised myself I would do everything in my power to never feel that way again.
Drive comes from strange places, and sticks with you a long time. Use your drive, wherever it comes from, to accomplish anything you put your mind to. Show the world what you are capable of, even if you are the only one that believes it.
