mikecarlooch
Apprentice & Student Of The Game
FASTLANE INSIDER
LEGACY MEMBER
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
I Got My A$$ Beat...
It has solidified in my mind that there is only one thing that holds us back from doing anything and achieving greatness in any aspect of our lives..
It's the thing that is the reason I've personally put off so many things that would have made my life hundreds of times better.. If I had just taken the shot.
That thing.. is a programmed belief inside our minds that makes us not just BELEIVE, but KNOW we can't do something. If we KNOW we can't do something, then it IS in fact impossible.. Because our perception is reality and we will simply never break that barrier until we challenge it.
There was just one thing that I did that made me understand this and I now feel capable of doing ANYTHING because of it.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu..
Before I tell you why jiu jitsu is relevant to this topic, it's important you understand my backstory.
At 12-17 years old, I was quite honestly the most anti-social and scared person ever. If someone confronted me, I let it happen. If someone knocked books out of my hands in the hallway at school, I laughed it off and let it happen. I avoided any situations where there was a chance I could get into a physical altercation with someone, therefore I had never been in a fight.
This created a massive limiting belief inside my head.. I labeled myself a "Weak person" and that was that.
That was until.. I walked into a brazilian jiu jitsu gym 1 year ago without having any clue what it was. My friend that did it asked me if I wanted to come.. and me being an extremely scared and anti-social person, I wanted to say no.
But during this time period I was going through a phase where life felt bland. I felt like I wanted to do more things. I wanted to be more "cultured" and more skilled.. more knowledgeable.. so I went against my will, and said yes.
I found out that Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a very physical martial art with submissions. In the first class, I learned moves. There was no sparring or anything like that, all of this was completely foreign to me.. and it oddly sparked my curiosity.
I almost didn't go back ever and just forgot about jiu jitsu after the first class, and that would've been a huge mistake. I said to myself "No. You're going to f**king stick with something for once in your life. You're not going to quit." and so I didn't.
After 30 days of training moves, I was promoted to a one stripe white belt which allowed me to start going in live jiu jitsu sparring sessions..
But on my first day of sparring, it was like a scene out of a movie in my eyes..
I walked in.. there was only 3 people in the class.
My heart started pounding.. Blood was rushing.. Anxiety was kicking in.. why?
Because I was the only white belt there. There was one black belt, one purple belt, and one blue belt. I was about to tell them I forgot I had to do something and then just dip out and never come back to another class again.
But that voice popped up in my head again "No. You're gonna stay and you're going to do it. No matter what happens"
As soon as I put on my Jiu Jitsu gi and warmed up, my coach said to me.. "Ready to spar for the first time?"
Remember, I'd never been in a fight or anything. I didn't understand what it was liked to have someone actively trying to hurt me and me having to defend myself.
My coach points to the purple belt, who had to have been about 60-80 pounds heavier than me at the time.
"Hey - Make sure you tap" he said
This was it. I was about to die.
See, that's what I was thinking. I went into this thinking I was literally going to die. I had no self confidence in myself at all. I wanted to run away..
We shook hands and it was on. I grab his Gi, and tried my hardest to defend myself. Within 1 minute, the purple belt tapped me in an arm bar for the first time..
Guess what happened after that first tap? I wanted to keep going. I wanted more.
What the hell? Where did that limiting belief go? It disappeared into the wind. It felt like a 100 pound weight had just been lifted off my shoulders. It wasn't as bad as my mind had played it out to be... and it was actually... fun!
fast forward to today.. Guess what? I train jiu jitsu 5-6 days a week for the past year, on my way to getting my blue belt..
I learned a very valuable lesson from this experience that I see as literally a compass to life..
"Discomfort is the dragon that guards the gold"
I was uncomfortable with sparring against someone.. I did that, and now I love jiu jitsu. I'm also scared of talking to people, I'm scared of starting a business, I'm scared of asking that girl out, I'm scared of creating my first youtube video, i'm scared i'm scared i'm scared..
HOLY SH*T.. Fear is a gift. Fear is a compass. I realized that if I do any of the above, the same thing would happen, just like what I experienced with jiu jitsu. I would get that feeling of "EASE" after DOING IT. The only hard part is the initial contact... Fighting my mind.. But once that's gone - there is a light.. a path to a new world.. new skills.. new knowledge
And all it takes is the realization that believing everything your mind tells you.. Is a mistake!
Dislike ads? Become a Fastlane member:
Subscribe today and surround yourself with winners and millionaire mentors, not those broke friends who only want to drink beer and play video games. :-)
Membership Required: Upgrade to Expose Nearly 1,000,000 Posts
Ready to Unleash the Millionaire Entrepreneur in You?
Become a member of the Fastlane Forum, the private community founded by best-selling author and multi-millionaire entrepreneur MJ DeMarco. Since 2007, MJ DeMarco has poured his heart and soul into the Fastlane Forum, helping entrepreneurs reclaim their time, win their financial freedom, and live their best life.
With more than 39,000 posts packed with insights, strategies, and advice, you’re not just a member—you’re stepping into MJ’s inner-circle, a place where you’ll never be left alone.
Become a member and gain immediate access to...
- Active Community: Ever join a community only to find it DEAD? Not at Fastlane! As you can see from our home page, life-changing content is posted dozens of times daily.
- Exclusive Insights: Direct access to MJ DeMarco’s daily contributions and wisdom.
- Powerful Networking Opportunities: Connect with a diverse group of successful entrepreneurs who can offer mentorship, collaboration, and opportunities.
- Proven Strategies: Learn from the best in the business, with actionable advice and strategies that can accelerate your success.
"You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with the most..."
Who are you surrounding yourself with? Surround yourself with millionaire success. Join Fastlane today!
Join Today
