09/05/16

The Defeat Will Make You Stronger

Story by @ChandlerWaller

Photography by Peter Lindbergh

We live our lives, day by day doing what we do to make us stronger human beings. But at times in life, we need to be in the deepest place to really appreciate life. When we get knocked down, we get back up and that is what makes us as human beings so much stronger.

I remember hearing a story about my grandfather. Whilst in the army, someone knocked him down. They told him to get up. But my classic grandfather simply replied "if I get up, you're just going to knock me down again."

We're an intelligent species, our confidence will grow throughout our lives as we make the right decisions. Sometimes, you need that knock down to bring you back up and realise the important things in life.

Let us now look at the Chris Eubank Jr and Nick Blackwell boxing match. For those of you who don't know the story, let me begin. 

The British title means a lot for some people and especially the Eubanks. Going from World championship fights to British level was meant to be an easy, straight forward fight. With devastating blows, Blackwell was taking unnecessary punishment. By the 7th round, Chris Eubank Sr informed his young fighter that throwing punches to the head was unnecessary at this stage. The fight continued on until Blackwell could no longer continue due to a closed eye. But it was later confirmed that Blackwell had received a bleed on the brain. Induced into a coma for two weeks. Luckily, after that he awoke. Deciding to retire from boxing but to still be involved in the sport. 

No one walks away.

But similar to these defeats in life, we will always awake in strive of finding our self confidence. Many of us aspire to achieve greatness, to use our confidence as a stepping stone to amassing our full potential. Confidence will always be a part of us, it is just a matter of building it up so you feel invincible. If you get knocked down, you get back up and keep moving forward. 

Fall down seven, stand up eight.

With defeat comes victory. You'll always find yourself looking for a way to get where you want to be. Many examples have been set in the human race, a lot of us plod along with life like its no biggie.

We should all be listening to Rocky Balboa's famous quotes and take the opportunities that only happen once in life. Most of us will always find a hard point in life, but it is these moments that we will look back on later in life. The point that I'm trying to make is that we all have setbacks in life. What you really should be worrying about is how you face that defeat and how you become stronger.

Boxers set a great example for me. Many people hate the sport, most people don't get the sport. But those boxers have the courage to get into that ring every time and that is something that I have always admired. Boxers have been embarrassed, ridiculed and injured. But they step back into that ring to chase after their dreams. They become a stronger person. Not a boxer, a person. They can take the loss but will always move forward.

Your self confidence can only be improved by yourself. No one is here to motivate you, you need to find out for yourself what you can do to improve your confidence. Confidence should never be something that can lowered, but it does happen.

Luke Campbell probably has the prettiest face I've ever seen. But that can be saved for another time. Pretty boy received a black eye from sparring after taking a flu jab. He thought that it might affect his Vogue shoot. A week later he won Gold in the Olympics. The image is so striking to look at because of all these feelings expressed at once. Pain, anger, defeat, pride. If a boxer can do it so can you.

Just remember, people are going to knock you down. It's the standing up afterwards that counts.

I hope you all feel inspired yo.

-2firs 

697 words (a task for Fashion Journalism).