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Cassio Pero
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Sept. 15, 2006
This blog is dedicated to a special someone, my teammates, athletes everywhere and to mankind.
When I think about wrestling, I feel an intense drive to perform at a high level. Sometimes I may stress or be extremely hard on myself if everything doesn't go exactly as I planned. It's easy to get so caught up in your own life and sport that you get lost and not see the big picture.
What is the "Big Picture?"
Well, the big picture consists of many variables. I think there are so many variables that we will never really come to know them all. I'll try to shed light on some of the variables that I recognize and use to help make me a better wrestler and person. The way I see it, the Big Picture is a concept that forces me to put my life in an optimistic perspective. This is what I mean...
I frequently try to recognize how grateful I am. I am blessed with two arms, two legs, two eyes and all the abilities that got me to where I am today. When I am training and wrestling--all the while using these body parts and abilities I am blessed with--I think about that and train harder. Part of the reason why I train and compete hard is because I can. Some people are born blind. Some people are born without appendages (or may lose them in war or accidents). The survivors in New Orleans lost their homes and everything they have ever known, overnight. Millions of people across the globe are hungry as we speak and will remain hungry for an indefinite period of time. When I think about these types of things, I realize that my bad practice or low test score or sprained ankle or whatever it may be, is not so bad. Sometimes I mistake my stresses and hardships with `real life' genuine stresses and hardships. I could go on and on in this blog giving you examples of hardships I see in life that make me grateful and make my student-athlete life easier, but hopefully you understand what I mean.
I think about the many hardships that life can bring and I convert it to positive energy to train and perform my craft. If I get too lost in myself and my emotions, I try to reach outside of myself and bring these real life circumstances to light to put my life back in proper perspective. Realize your blessings and use them as strengths. No matter who you are or what your circumstances may be, you have the same option. That option is to realize your blessings and use them as strengths.
I'm going to conclude by saying I enjoy my days on earth and live each day as if it were my last. If you sometimes take life for granted as I do, it's alright because you are not alone. We are only human. But we can try together to put our lives in a different light. I have a feeling it may make life, classes, jobs or sports we play that much easier. I am not a preacher, I'm just a wrestler. And this is Chronicle Three, take it or leave it.
