Sunshine and Rainbows

Rocky Balboa is a former champion in the ring. For those of us that followed his storied rise, fall, and rise since the 1970s, we know Rocky loses, then he comes back and either wins, or in the case of the first film, refuses to stay down. The first movie is still considered to be the best (Sly was nominated for an Oscar for the original screenplay), but that is an entirely different topic for another time. What the first movie does do is establish that winning is relative. Sorry for the spoiler, but Rocky loses to Apollo Creed in the first movie. But he does not get knocked out. He lasts the entire fight, losing to the absolute best. Plus, he meets the love of his life and has his first child. He may not be the champ, but he is a winner.

So, when Rocky has another comeback in 2006, his son has something to say about how it affects him personally. Rocky Jr. believes he has been dealt an unfair hand in life because his last name is Balboa. During an impassioned exchange, the Italian Stallion tells his son that he has lost his way---that he thinks everything is happening to him, not because of him. It’s about control and responsibility and being accountable and in control of your personal power. We’ve heard it before, but we’ve not heard it said with the kind of rawness that Sly delivers. 

“The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows!,” he yells to his son. “It’s a very mean and nasty place, and I don’t care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it.” 

It’s about not giving up. Ever. No excuses. No one else to shoulder the blame. Failure sucks. And it should. When we do win, we remember all the &%$@ we took to get there. It makes our victory that much more delicious. When I saw this scene again recently, I took away something different than when I first watched the movie. 

We need to go beyond just dealing with or tolerating life’s challenges. We need to embrace them. I think Rocky enjoys getting knocked down. He knows these falls will make him stronger for when he will be put to the test. That’s tough.

Instead of focusing so much on avoiding the hits, learn to take them and to learn from them---this didn’t work, that worked better than expected. If you are always dodging, always dancing, without risking a hit, you’re not really living, are you? 

Haven’t you ever done something as a kid that was worth the consequences, even if it involved no Atari (look it up kids) for a week? I urge you to remember the sense of satisfaction it gave you to sit in the hot seat, endure the lecture or whatever punishment was imposed, fully committed to doing the same thing again, given the chance. Cost/benefit analysis at its core.

The Rocky movies are easy to mock for their cliched, well, everything. Rocky’s point to his son, though, is far from corny and more like the speech most parents would love to give their adult children. Be prepared to take the hits and keep moving forward. Own your choices and keep getting up. Every day. You will win.

by Chuck Vogel and Tony Caramatti