Thoughts of a Strongman during a time of failure. How do you respond to failing? Do you hang your head in defeat? Throw your hands up in the air and walk away in frustration, never to try again? Do you automatically let the fear of not being good enough creep in? Even worse, do you allow one failure to become part of your identity? Are you now a failure because you failed? Tonight during my training I failed a lift that I have failed multiple times as of late. After my second attempt, and ultimately my second failure of the night, all of the thoughts above went through my mind. I honestly was hit with a barrage of negative thoughts. Because of these negative thoughts, I was instantly filled with fear and anxiety. Fear of losing when it counts. Fear of not being good enough or embarrassing myself. Then the anxiety set in. I began to dread the lift. I wanted to run out of the gym. I couldn’t think of one positive thing to say about myself or my abilities. Honestly it was a window into the past. A view of the thoughts that I had every day all day about myself. I realized these are the thoughts of a man that no longer exists. The man that thought those thoughts, now knows fear isn’t real, anxiety has no role in my life, and neither fear nor anxiety offer me anything. That man has leveled up and evolved into who I am now. Who am I now? Now I’m a man that takes that failure and understands that it’s part of the journey. I now understand that the failures only stand to make the successes that much more valuable and worthy of celebration. If I never failed, then success wouldn’t be special. It would be meaningless to succeed without failure preceding the success. I know that I am not a failure, and in knowing that I’m not a failure, I know that one day as long as I don’t quit I will succeed. As long as I put in the work, success will come in time and when that day comes, it will be a special moment. A blimp of happiness to be remembered. Why? because I failed, I overcame, I believed in myself, and I succeeded. So am I a failure because I failed? Absolutely not. I’m a warrior powering forward until my day comes that I succeed. I’m a champion. I’m a winner and failure does not define me. That’s who I am now.

Perry Redman

World Renowned Strongman

Words Of A Lion, a Brave Heart Lion As an extension of the Warrior's Way Men's Group, honestly, I wasn't sure about this group at first when it started. I mostly just sat back and listened. However, as it grew, I saw the good it is for so many of us men who are going through so many different battles on the daily. I learned very quickly, "the flaming Elmo's" group is the real deal, a group of Men in who truly care for one another, It's a brotherhood. Don't get me wrong, there is a lot of clowning around and smack talk to each other (like brothers do). But when It's on, It's on, I have been a part of and have witnessed with my own eyes and ears, Big Strong MEN, just reeling and going through it, break down and let it all out, and almost in unison we all come together collectively lock shields and lift that Brother up, and battle with him until that enemy has been defeated. Brothers stay up all hours of the night, till the wee hours of the morning to make sure their fellow Warrior has made it through to the other side. And then armor up to be ready for the next battle. I have been a part of many, many different groups in my 52 years of life, even those with a spiritual aspect to them. I can honestly say, I have never been a part of a group (and doubt I ever will again) such as this group. A group of MEN who fight side-by-side with you until the battle ends in Victory. The overused term "Stronger Together" has truly found its meaning here. To all my Warrior's Way and especially my Flaming Elmo's brethren, I Love you, and Godspeed.

ERLE "Braveheart Lion"

Your Everyday Warrior