You can bet on it

When we think about life today, there are too many things to consider! We live in the most prolific technical boom in recent history and it seemingly get all the information we want with a click of a button. Items that we'd have to go around searching for is simply a few keyword searches away. The normality for people paying others now is via electronic transaction rather than physical cash. As our lives continue to get more digital, we start anchoring ourselves deeper and deeper into what our media says we are. What we post, what we view, and what our peers deem is as a "like" has now become our basis of what we like.

So when life becomes a little difficult what do we do?

This was a problem for me in my early to mid twenties. During this time, I relied on what people thought of me via my social media profile rather than what I actually thought of myself. I found that my day to day was simply following or liking photos on Instagram, Facebook, etc. But there wasn't any really thought behind whom I was and what I was doing. Much like many people, I choose to follow the crowd and see where it would take me. That didn't work out too well. I found myself chasing shadows and every night I would find myself in the same hole I was always in. I was digging deeper into alcoholism, smoking, and etc. to make me feel happy. But was I happy? I thought I was, but in reality, I was falling into deeper and deeper into hole that I couldn't see out of.

One day, a friend asked that I go to bible study by a friend, I had the worst intentions in mind. I tried to my excuses to get out of it. I tried using the Christian background that I was raised and educated with with to get by and not really put really any serious thought into the actual study. But slowly, I changed. I started seeing myself in a new and different light. I started to experience what actually being thoughtful about your life was about. It was the first time exploring what it meant to actually meant to live and breath what walking in the way God wanted to is about. I saw what God's love had done to so many people and that is love had saved and transformed hundreds of lives just like mine. So I decided to do something I have never thought of doing:

I decided to bet it all on God.

I decided to truly believe in something that didn't have any monetary value or any physical form. You can bet that I was optimistically cautious about this new outlook in life, but something always pulled me in deeper and deeper. I saw the difference in my life almost change like night and day. I began caring less about what the world thought about me and only believed in the potential that God saw in me.

I now realize that the anchor of my life is and always been God. If you'd ask me what my favorite verse in the bible it would be:

"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love."                  - 1 Corinthians 16:13-14

Being it has become the foundation in which I stake my life on. Because of that, it has changed the way I approach my life and the way I approach others.

That also has made its way into the way I train for powerlifting. I aim to be the put the same amount focus and attention into my training as I do my spiritual life. But because of that I have grown as person and an athlete.

But what continues to motivate me in my work and my craft is my FAITH. Life is difficult and the hurdles and walls that I face are constantly changing. But what I know is that I could bet on God's presence in my life.

"In my deepest, darkest moments, what really got me through was a prayer. Sometimes my prayer was 'Help me.' Sometimes a prayer was 'Thank you.' What I've discovered is that intimate connection and communication with my creator will always get me through because I know my support, my help, is just a prayer away."

- Iyanla Vanzant

Wherever you find yourself in your life's journey. We as people will always need someone to lean on. But to that I say, you don't need anyone or anything. You need to believe that you were put onto this earth for a reason to not only live your life but to succeed in it. Have faith in yourself and your potential and that will carry you through any wall you may face.

- Ralph