POST-2: “Knock-Out The Darkness (With Light)”

Greetings Earthlings! (JK. Cut me some slack, its 5:30 in the morning),

Today, in the Entertainment world, boxing champions, “Superman “-Roy Jones Jr. and Heavy-weight Champion, “Iron-Mike” Tyson are scheduled to fight. For those of you unfamiliar with boxing or sports in general, this is one of the most-highly anticipated matches of the Century!

Not only because of depression from the COVID lockdowns and pandemic, or the endless amounts of turmoil we’ve suffered through in 2020, but because here we have Two -Titans, kings of their eras, and beyond their fighting years, still pursuing a dangerous sport for the love of the game. This speaks to my competitive side, as I am sure it does for many of you.

Many would argue that attempting to fight at this age is foolish, barbaric and asinine to say the least. Respectfully, I would agree. However, as dangerous as combat sports are, I see something much deeper in all of this.

I won’t consider myself to be a “Die-Hard”, Mike Tyson fan, or Roy Jones for that matter, but in my youth, I watched several of their matches, and can definitely say I know why they are considered to be Great! Roy Jones is a phenomenal spectacle whose speed and accuracy are untouchable! Mike Tyson, considered a “god “among many, has the same speed and accuracy, but is absolutely terrifying in size! He has the ability to knockout out his opponents quickly, ferociously, and often times very dangerously (as we have seen).  

I have grown to love and appreciate both men for the greatness they exhibit in their worlds. I appreciate greatness in general. It doesn’t matter if you’re great at baking cakes, ice-sculpting, politics, sports, or academics. Greatness is greatness. When you hear about Iron Mike, its usually as the butt of a joke. People make fun of the way he speaks. Admittedly, that’s all I knew of him too, besides knowing him as a fighter. He was this big-bad dude, “bully” in the boxing ring that could knock people out in under one minute! —That’s dangerous.  And of course, there were the countless allegations, and imprisonment that he went through because of his reckless past. But there’s more.   

I recently learned that Mike Tyson has his own podcast show on YouTube called ‘‘Hot-Boxing, with Mike Tyson”. Here he interviews a variety of people (celebrities we’ll call them) who have championed the spaces they are in (or at least have been considered noteworthy for better or worse). As a joke I decided, “Hey, this will be fun. Let’s watch Mike try to have serious conversations with other people while he smokes weed”. An interesting concept for sure. But boy was I in store for a treat.

If you know me, you know I have a big-heart, and seek out the best in everyone. This is a daily practice of love, and I continue to safeguard this skill because I hope one day it will garner me access into Heaven. Hopefully, keeping an open-mind and un-callusing my heart will allow me to better love others, and be of service to more people while I’m here. Its not easy, but I think it’s the right thing to do. I approached this show with the same fervor before watching. By looking beyond, the veil of Tyson’s speech impediments, his raunchy jokes or bravado in which he speaks about his past excellence. I have learned a few things about Mike.  

Mike Tyson, in my opinion, is a sweet individual. He is someone who truly possesses a contrite heart. He voluntarily puts his self on the “chopping blocks” of life, not only to achieve excellence in his own life (as we all should), but his work is one of inner, spiritual growth. And you know I’m all about that #Perseverance and Growth 😉 If you can manage to listen deeply, and remove any doubts you may have of him as this ignorant, fighting baboon, you will gain wisdom from his words. We are all a sum experience of our thoughts, words, and actions whether directly or indirectly.

Tyson came from nothing. An ultimate underdog. Admittedly, he was not perfect. He got into trouble and did foolish things. He makes mistakes and is flawed. He deals with #mentalhealth challenges, and battles his inner demons on a daily basis (as I think we all do). I coined this term “Dealing with darkness”. How we choose to deal with darkness is an individual endeavor. Tyson, like many other fighters, describes the Fear of darkness as something he has tried to defeat/eliminate from his life all together, especially in the ring. If fear or negative thought patterns take you over, you will die.

Exercising your thoughts is the first step in #perseverance and growth… He goes deeper.

Tyson’s work is being a fighter. His job is literally to defeat his opponents in combat. This means someone could die. When asked, he contributes his success not only to his late mentor, who helped empower his mind when he felt defeated and discouraged, but also to the fact that he embraced his own fears. Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is the ability to transmute fear into positive energy to advance yourself forward into taking action. Yet, it is still a very, scary business!

Tyson, like many “competitors” in life chooses to “Adopt fear”. He Studies it, just as equally as much as he studies the greatest human warriors of all time. Philosophers, Religious leaders, and various schools of thought have helped guide Mike Tyson on his journey into Heavy-weight, World-champion.

I think we all can learn something from Iron-Mike. Just because you come from nothing, or have been impregnated with negative, defeating thoughts, doesn’t mean you have to allow them to rule your life.

You can overcome this. Light will always “outshine” darkness. Humility and hunger propel Men forward. Humbling ourselves, to “our-selves“ should be a daily practice, but not just for the sake of “being-humble”. KNOW THY SELF is a famous proverb. They’re only three words, but have an infinite impact in life. I find myself weary sometimes, from the daily-toiling away I must do. I often seek relief when life is too much to bare. But I also learned something about myself in these 35 years of living.

There is an inner- “Mike Tyson” within me. I think he/she lives within us all! He is the voice of that scared, yet brilliant little boy that dares to be great. She is the little girl inside who wants to be free to express herself, and share her gifts with the world (without fear of being bullied or persecuted). They are the confused voices that want understanding. We are them, and they are us.

But How do we know if they are screaming for help, or saying “Go! Go! Go!”, pushing us forward into our own destiny of excellence? How can I discern between “darkness and light”?  When do we know to surrender, or fight (BARS 😉)? These are all real questions, that deserve real attention.

As Marianne Williamson said: “It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us…”

Turn On Your Light. “Wake Up, And Make Your Bed”. Conquer your Inner-demons with the same ferocity and humility that “Iron” Mike Tyson possesses. Dance delicately with the pitfalls of life, throwing graceful, yet powerful jabs in the face of adversity, like “Super Man” Roy Jones Jr. Knockout your Darkness with Light, and pray to God you see a better day. #Kaizen.

Stay Hungry. Be Great. And Be Love.—KING.