I believe I can achieve anything if I really want to. I am smart, athletic and not so bad with the girls either. But just like every other confident teenager, I have some rather humbling moments too. For example, a few years ago, my brother challenged me to a wrestling match. “You have no idea what you just got yourself into kiddo.” – I smirked evilly.
That night, after Mom and Dad went out, we expertly broke into their bedroom. And there it was, the king-sized bed, beautifully four-sided, with the soft springy mattress making it perfect for our more outrageous stunts – it was our WWE wresting ring. Carefully moving aside anything breakable, we got on the bed and verbally rang the bell. ‘Ting, ting, ting!’
I instantly charged forward and speared him down. As he groaned and moaned on the mattress floor, I saw my name in lights and went for the knockout. Climbing onto the turnbuckle (the headboard) of the ring, almost in slow motion, I jumped off to deliver the Senton Bomb, magnificently flipping 270° in the air. Only one problem though. In the meantime, my brother had recovered and, seeing me fast coming down on him from above, lifted his knees up. As I helplessly landed on top of them, every muscle in my abdomen screamed in pain. Taking advantage of the situation, he pinned me down. ‘1! 2! 3! Ting, Ting, Ting!’ The unthinkable had just happened. As he roared in triumph, lifting the imagined Heavyweight Championship Belt in the air, I am not sure which was hurting more, my midriff, or my ego.
I know that I may never hear the end of that infamous defeat, but at least I can laugh at myself now. Often we get overly-competitive in our stressful lives and let the pressure get to us, but sometimes a stupid (and painful) mistake is all we need to put everything into perspective.