Life Is Max Effort - Guest Blog, Authored by T.J. Carr

“Don’t stop for nothing, it’s full speed or nothing. I’m taking down, you know, whatever’s in my way.” – Metallica

Listen, there are no mulligans and there is no reset button in life. You literally have one shot, that’s it. That being said, here’s a reality check; there will only ever be one Tom Brady, one Brian Shaw, one Bill Gates (*ahem* douchebag *cough cough*), one Arnold Schwarzenegger and unfortunately, you ain’t it! See where I’m going with this? Now, what does that mean? Should you just lay down and die because you’re not God’s gift to sports, or finance or the shining savior of an overinflated global pandemic? No. Hell no. You’re in the drivers seat of your own journey, blaze your own path.

Growing up, like many other 80’s kids, I idolized Hulk Hogan. The one thing I have ever wanted in this life was to be 6’8”, golden bronze tan, 24 inch pythons and a silky gold ¾ mullet. Well maybe not so much the last part but everything else was a life long goal. As it turns out, I’m almost 40 years, 5 inches shorter than I wanted to be, my arms peaked at 22 inches at their biggest and I have an affinity for carbohydrates that gave me a body type more fitting of “Bulk” than Hulk. Boohoo, right? Well, no, not really. I have used what I have to push myself to the absolute limits that I am capable of. Truth be told, I don’t wholeheartedly believe that I’ve reached my limits, I still think I have some stuff in the basement. Nevertheless, I accept the injuries and pain that has accumulated over the years. I have accepted that I am almost 40 years old and that things have really started to slow down for me. The one thing that I refuse to accept is that I can’t continue to push myself to continually improve myself into a better version. I’m not just talking physically either, I mean mental, spiritual, emotional as well. The total package. Shit seems to come in waves in life too, like you may be making some great progress in the gym but maybe you’re struggling financially (been there). Or maybe you’ve found yourself a better half that has grounded you, making you feel more complete as a person but you have sacrificed time in the gym and now you’re struggling with your lifts. The fact is, there are 24 hours in a day. Yes, sometimes priorities may shift but there is a lot of time in a day, week or even a year to put some effort into all aspects of life. Again, you are in the drivers seat for this.

The other reality that I feel I need to mention, is it is up to you to progress. Large in part, the world doesn’t give a shit if you rise or fall. Life will pass you by if you think you can just lay down and wait for someone to pity you and make it all better. I know it is a lot easier said than done but if you are continually working on progress in all aspects of life, you will have the fortitude to keep getting up and keep pushing forward. THAT’S HOW WINNING IS DONE!

Just for the record, this is coming from someone that has had a lackluster strongman career for 15 years, someone who is a million dollars short of being a millionaire, someone with a doctorate in a field that many still believe is witchcraft, someone who ran a small business and ultimately failed. However, the one thing that I can say, is that I have taken my shot, I have struggled and pushed through things that have made many others submit and YOU CAN TOO. There are some steps you can take to set yourself up for success, some may seem redundant, but they should all help point you in the right direction if you should find yourself in a situation where you’re not getting the most out of your life.

1. Surround yourself with people deserving of your time and efforts. Humans are the biggest parasites on the planets and letting the wrong ones into your life can absolutely destroy you.
2. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Especially to those that have achieved a level of success that you are interested in. When the time comes that you are gathering info from these people, do yourself a favor and shut the fuck up. Listen! Do not speak.
3. It is ok to fail but do not get used to it. This is a huge trap and it will consume you. Take risks but always be planning on how you’re going to dig yourself out if things go shit side up.
4. Focus on all around success. Set yourself up for success as best you can in your relationships, your job, your training, your faith, your health and your knowledge. This is hard, be warned. It is exhausting. It’s easy to work on being successful for the stuff that you want to but without getting the other aspects of life in order, you will have a constant uphill battle, or worse yet, become complacent.
5. Don’t be afraid to help others along the way, just be sure to have boundaries. Helping others will only give you good karma going forward but beware that some people will leach onto your energy and make it difficult to focus on yourself. Helping others does not mean doing it for them.
6. Lastly, do not lay down and die. Life is fucking hard. It is full of setbacks, shortcomings, disappointments and just all around bad shit that will bring you to your knees. Remember, one inch forward at a time is still moving forward. Things do not and will not happen overnight but consistency will make all the difference in the world.

We all end up in the ground, feeding the worms in the end. All the stuff that happens from the time you enter this world until you’re gone is your own journey. Think long and hard about your own personal saga that you want to leave behind and get to work. I love the quote from the get rich quick guy in the movie Pain and Gain, where he says “Get a goal, get a plan and get off your ass.” I’m not sure who needed to hear this and believe me, I know my words are not gospel but hopefully this lights a fire under at least one person’s ass and they become the greatest version of themselves that they can possibly be.

                                                         SDMF