Inspiration: is it in you?

by Patrick Vaughan

 

The greatest movies are the ones that get you to think, and they are the ones that inspire you to do more with your life. One such movie that I was "forced" to watch in high school, was the movie Gatica. It was supposed to open our awareness to the potential evils of ever-advancing technologies in my science class.

In a quick summation; this movie was about over-coming insurmountable odds, surpassing the biases of a society that looks down upon those who weren't genetically engineered (yes the movie is about everyone in society, well the rich mostly, genetically engineering their children to be the best that they could be), and that with a strong enough will you can do anything. At least this is what I got out of that movie.

Two brothers were born into this society. One by natural means, with an "expiration date of around 40 years", and the other was then chosen to be genetically engineered so that he could live a longer and therefore a happier life.

So where does all of this fall in with Nutrition and exercise?? Well let us see if you can answer this question first on your own, before I ruin all of the fun and give it away.

So this one brother with an expiration date at 40 years, was not given a health policy, and was barred from any meaningful job due to the fact that he would not possess longevity in any career he choose. He had large dreams though. He wanted to walk across the moon, and thereby leave the world that neglected him.

To do this, he worked, and he worked hard (after pirating an identity from which he was allowed to join the space stations crew.Those who were genetically engineered for "perfection" in this society were just naturals at everything they did. For this reason, they stopped working hard, as their predetermined talent alone would get them anywhere.

Day in and day out he practiced his coding, and he never once made an error in his coding during work hours. In this movie, there are two scenes that were the most provoking to my heartstrings.

He and his brother would swim ever since they were children. Racing out as far as they could go until the other one quit, and by then they would turn around and come back (once the victor was decided upon). A David and Galieth of contests, as one was designed to be genetically superior to the other. However despite all genetics, despite the fact that there will be those who are faster, who are stronger, who can run farther, memorize things in seconds, and etc. There is one thing that will always be immeasurable. This is the human heart.

I don't mean how much blood that can be effectively dispersed with each pump, or how efficiently the muscles can take up oxygen, or even how resilient one is to producing lactic acid. I am talking about the human will. You can watch the scene in this movie link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gYbpM0GWTs).

Again they try when they're older, and stronger. They both give it everything that they've got, knowing that with each stroke out, is another stroke back. This is their final swim in the movie.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll5qiWa6YDk

The conversation:
Anton Freeman: Vincent! How are you doing this Vincent? How have you done any of this? We have to go back.
Vincent: It's too late for that. We're closer to the other side.
Anton Freeman: What other side? You wanna drown us both?
Vincent: You wanna know how I did it? This is how I did it Anton. I never saved anything for the swim back.

For every day you go to the gym, for every project you work on, for everything that you do it is paramount that you give your absolute best. If you can do this in every aspect of your life, there will be nothing that you cannot achieve. Despite the obstacles, despite the fact that others may say you aren't good enough. If you put in the time, if you put in the hours, anything, and I mean anything is possible.

We have numerous success stories out there. I dare you to look up how Will Smith got started. It didn't just happen overnight. He waited outside every single day of Hollywood studios and sold himself until that one fateful day when his career blasted off with the Fresh Prince of Belair.  Micheal Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team and was told that he would never amount to anything in basketball, he showed them wrong. Steve Jobs designed and built a company from the ground up. Walt Disney was told that his cartoons were amateur, and that while amusing were nothing special. We have several locations dedicated specifically to him and the magic he created and brought into this world. Do you think these people every half-a$$ed anything? Life was never easy for them to get to where they ended up. Everyone faces obstacles. Everyone faces challenges that may seem insurmountable at times.

The secret is to look inside yourself. To find that hidden potential. The inner strength that rests within all of us to get in that extra rep, to study that extra hour, to go out and promote yourself just one more day, and to get in that extra stroke in the lake.

Every night no matter how difficult or easy the day was, you still fall to sleep in that same bed. How much more satisfying will it be to know with the utmost certainty that you achieved your goals? You will be laying in that bed later that night despite the fact that you put in 70% effort, or 110% effort in that day.

You may draw your inspiration from the fear of letting down those that you care about, you may draw it from the defiance you feel towards being told you can't do something (the desire to prove someone wrong), you may draw this inspiration from numerous avenues of your life. The point is to find that trigger, and to grind it out every single day.

On every team there is this person who will do anything to not let the team down. Hopefully this will inspire you to be that person.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_wyBftd8gk