'Embarrassment' is the Enemy

It’s been a minute since I’ve been called out for boxing in public.

Not because I’m that bad or even that good.

Not because I’m professional or remotely recognizable.

No…I got called out for sharing it online.

This past weekend was spent at a hotel for a wedding, and with m’lady standing up in the ceremony, I was left with a lot of time to kill and no responsibilities.

Perfect opportunity to train.

Now, I’m one of the few who actually look forward to training in hotels when traveling. It’s an opportunity to adapt your routine to a new setting, and forces you to get creative when your options are limited (lighter weights, no heavy-bag, etc). You have a chance to work on other targets you typically neglect, all while hardening your commitment to staying sharp and fit.

Plus, I enjoy the feeling of being in an episode of UFC embedded, a fighter on the road training wherever he can to prepare for imminent battle. Having a cinematic lens on life makes it better.

With that in mind, I decided to grab a clip of some shadowboxing.

Nothin fancy, nothing impactful, nothing really to speak of honestly. Just another opportunity to share some training and put people on to the magic of hotel training.

Low and behold, someone returned the favor and shared some advice:

Thanks for the pro tip, anon.

I’ve been sharing pictures and videos of my boxing for over 7 years now.

Looking back on some of them, by my own eyes they are tragic. Awful in technique and production, I find myself cringing looking back down the feed.

Still, I posted.

I wanted to share the thrill and joy I had studying the sweet science with an audience, if they’d listen. I wanted to write a story of my own path in the world of boxing. One that’s led me to competing, coaching, sponsorships, partnerships, large-scale events, and too many friendships to count. Most of which wouldn’t have been possible if I hadn’t consistently shared my training online.

But this one got me thinking.

The idea of not doing something because someone you don’t know finds it ‘embarrassing’ is a damaging behavior to have. Especially in a sport with a mental toll like boxing, I felt the need to share the obvious solution to this stranger’s perceived problem:

I didn’t write this post to highlight someone talking shit on the internet. I’m not that important, I’m not that sensitive, and could hardly give a shit. You don’t post online consistently for 7 years and not get some hate.

That’s the internet for you.

This wasn’t that serious either, by no means a real slight. No harm, no foul as far as I see it. In fact I appreciate the opportunity this person gave me. I didn’t plan to write on this kind of topic at all, but the best lessons are never planned in advance.

Now why does this matter?

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Boxing puts you in the spotlight.

It’s one of the rare opportunities where you are front, center, and on your own.

You either ride it out to victory…or get punched up in front of an audience supplying the “ooh and aah” soundtrack to your ass-whooping.

Whether you smile or shiver at the very thought, when that bell rings everyone’s eyes lock on to you. If you can’t muster up the courage to train your craft where it’s not commonly practiced, you’ll never be ready to fight.

The confidence you need to compete outweighs the confidence you need to shadowbox in front of strangers in a hotel gym.

Not that you have to do pushups in the hallway or hit pads with your coach in the supermarket, but you have to be okay with the idea of doing so. You’ll never get past the uncomfortable feeling of being a beginner if the thought of training in front of strangers who don’t understand the “why” stops you from training at all.

Not a boxer? Change the scene.

You want to start a business, you want to learn an instrument, you want to build a personal brand, you want to ask that girl out. Whatever it is: if it’s worthwhile, it’s eventually going to be public.

All roads lead to you sharing whatever your new thing is with other people. An audience will be present at the times of utmost importance, and you can’t let that stupid idea in your head, that they’re thinking that deeply about you, take over.

You’re going to face this same manufactured crisis of embarrassment anywhere you go...if you allow it. So don’t.

There’s no better way to close this out than to let a former professional boxer and friend who has helped me immensely from the start, Ed Latimore sum it up into one tweet:

This tweet was one of the first I came across on my early days of Twitter.

It flipped my perspective to ignore the tricks my mind was playing on me and pursue what I wanted, with no attachments to external thought or validation.

Hoping to help you do the same.

Cheers,

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