Spend Two Hours Watching Rocky With Your Child Today

One of my favorite movies of all-time is Rocky. In fact, as soon as I’ve finished this post, I’m going to watch it for the 10,000^th time.

I’ve watched Rocky so many times that I can practically recite the lines right along with the actors. Among the most memorable lines for me are:

• “Yo Adrian!”
• “How ’bout I stay here and you fight?”
• “You stop this fight, I’ll kill ya’!”
• “Cut me, Mick!”
• “Yeah. Beethoven was deaf. Helen Keller was blind. I think Rocky’s got a good chance.”
• “You’d better stop this fight! You ain’t nothin’ but a bum!”

INSPIRED EVERY TIME

Yet despite my familiarity with the movie and clear awareness of the outcome, each time I watch Rocky I do so as if I’m watching it for the first time. And for the record, I am not fascinated about how and why Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) looks nothing like he did in 1976? I’ll leave those questions for other inquiring minds.

Instead what fascinates me is the depths we all can dig when we want something badly enough. Rocky inspires me for the aforementioned reason and because it’s the story of nearly everyone who has ever done anything great – learn to fight, train to fight and never give up the fight.

THERE IS A ROCKY IN ALL OF US

As was the case with Rocky, first, the person feels sorry for themselves thinking wherever they are in life is the best they can hope for. They stop fighting. They turn themselves into a punch line or as Mickey called Rocky “a bum” and “a tomato”. They mope, they drink, they smoke, they overeat, and they hang out with real losers. Basically, they do everything in their power to make their situation worse. They do everything to make all the bad things they want to believe about themselves a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Then the person finds that one person or team of people who believe that they are more than they give themselves credit for being. A person or team who sees them exclusively for their promise and potential not their blemishes and insecurities. Through the eyes of those unwilling to allow them to see themselves as marginal, as a victim, a failure or as some buffoon, they start to develop an internal resolve to be a fighter. This renewed self-actualization does not come easy, immediately or without some group turmoil. Fortuitously, they reluctantly pick up their boxing gloves managing to do so just before it’s too late.

Eventually, the person not only makes a commitment to try the boxing gloves on but they decide to fight. They commit to out train and out prepare their opponent. They eagerly pick holes in everything that they are doing so that they can do everything better. Instead of training 2 hours, they train 2 hours three times a day. Instead of running 4 miles, they run eight miles. Instead of sparring with slower less competent fighters, they spar with faster, quicker and more experienced fighters. Where they once allowed negative thoughts, they speak only into existence that which they dream. Wherever they have weakness, they admit those weaknesses quickly and willingly as they seek to turn their weaknesses into strengths.

Finally on the day of the fight, they know win, lose or draw that they did everything humanly possible. They know that they never had one day of training where they gave less than 100%. If they were supposed to jump rope for thirty minutes, each day chronicles them jumping thirty or more minutes. If they were supposed to spar for fifteen rounds, they know they never sparred one second less than the full fifteen. If they had a practice test on the strategy used to defeat their opponent, they know that they never went to bed until every practice test taken resulted in the score of 100%.

ALL FIFTEEN ROUNDS

I’m going to go out on a limb and surmise that you have already seen Rocky. Thus, I trust you are aware that Rocky doesn’t win the first fight. Although, he doesn’t become the champion, Rocky is undoubtedly the winner. Rocky is a winner because he did exactly what he set out to do. Rocky went toe to toe for all fifteen rounds with the champion of the world.

How did Rocky win? Rocky’s mindset, preparation and stubbornness are what enabled him to stand all fifteen rounds and are these three elements form the foundations any of us can use to become a champion.

Rocky is a great movie to watch with your children because human nature particularly with children is to forget that the goal is to get through the fifteen round. Children – just like most parents – are easily discouraged when life throws them a sucker punch. Many children want to quit, categorize themselves as failures, join the “I Can’t Crew” and stop seeing the word impossible as the two words “I’m Possible”. Thus, too many children quit before they get to the fifteenth round.

KEYS TO BEING CHAMPION

The next time your child bemoans their state in life, sit them down and watch Rocky. Turn off the movie before the fifteenth round and see how they respond. My guess is that they will be extremely unsatisfied not to see Rocky finish what he started. Remind them that this is exactly how you feel as a parent when they quit (mentally, emotionally or physically) before battling with everything they have to finish whatever they started.

Actually, the next time you or anyone you care about gets knocked down by life have them watch Rocky as well. After they’ve watched the movie be sure to ask them if at any time in their life they have made the sacrifices to succeed that Rocky made. Challenge them to write down how their preparation and dogged persistence despite any evidence that they would succeed comes close to what Rocky endured.

While you are at it, share some of the unknown facts about the making of Rocky because they are equally inspiring (see below). Finally, ask them if they are willing to fight for their dream the way Sylvester Stallone fought to make Rocky a reality?[1]

• With only $106 in the bank, no car and needing to sell his dog (because he couldn’t afford to feed his dog any longer), Sylvester Stallone refused the offer of $350,000 for the rights to his movie unless he was allowed to star in the movie as Rocky.
• Sylvester Stallone worked on Rocky as an unpaid writer and an actor compensated at scale.
• Sylvester Stallone[2] earned a paltry $36 per week working as an usher before filming Rocky.
• Despite earning only $36 per week, Sylvester Stallone managed to train for six-months and watch every piece of footage of boxers Rocky Marciano and Ezzard Charles to prepare for the role of Rocky.
• The two producers of Rocky mortgaged their homes so that the movie could be completed.

[1] Rocky was the highest-grossing movie of 1976. – $225,000,000 (Worldwide).

[2] Celebrity Net Worth list Sylvester Stallone’s net worth at $400 million.