We find inspiration in different places. Adonis, for example, is inspired from Cornel West to the young Ohioan who lied to her father so she could try out for American Idol in New York. He loves watching normally reserved people smile with glee when they open birthday gifts. Or, when the sky is settling for the wintry night, he’ll point out how “awesome” they sky looks while we zoom down the highway.

Where do you find inspiration? Is it me, or is it getting much more difficult as we get older to feel that surge of YES as you get a little older each day. Stopping short of writing it in blood, I once swore to myself that I would age, yes, but I would never lose my lust for life, my uncatchable fiest for living.

I want to believe that it’s just the 2 degree windchill that is hardening my muscles, not bitterness or boredom. But sometimes I find it’s getting harder to believe that the world is still with me, wants me to keep going. People are so goddamn rude and indifferent, and so, so fucking ignorant about so many things that I can’t write about it anymore. The ignorance is so vast, it’s overwhelming. Where do you begin when you are overwhelmed by the oblivious state of so many people? Where do you begin? I don’t even know if I want to.

It’s times like these that I find inspiration from Rocky. I do. It’s my favorite cinematic character of all time, beating even Forest Gump. It’s something about the indomitable spirit, the humanity of winning and losing, that gets me.

“If you know what you’re worth, then go out and get what you’re worth. You don’t start pointing at people – at this guy, at this person – and say it’s his fault, it’s their fault you aren’t getting what you want. That’s what cowards do. This world is mean and it’ll beat you down and keep you there for as long as you let it. It’s not about how hard you hit. It’s about how many hits you can take and still get up and keep moving forward.” –Rocky Balboa