Click HERE for eight minutes of inspiration by Inky Johnson
I had the opportunity to see Inky Johnson live this past summer and he and his story were a true inspiration. He is a tremendous speaker and leaves it all out there when he speaks. The adversity he experienced in his life has catapulted him to find his purpose and propelled him to his next level and he uses this adversity to impact thousands.
I was writing this about an hour before heading to meet a dozen or more of our MyZone Challenge Team outside in the frigid cold for a kick butt workout! Although I was excited to get out on the field for something different I’m not going to lie I was not excited to be outside in the cold. I am most definitely sure they weren’t jumping up and down about it either.
Then I came across this video. Timing couldn’t be more perfect for what I heard. “Sweat Equity”, that’s one of the things Inky talked about and a message that hits close to my heart. I’ve always been somewhat of a grinder…I’m not sure where it came from other than possibly it was built in the times of my life when I was told that I couldn’t achieve something, something that I really wanted. I believed that I could achieve anything if I was willing to do what it took, if I had the passion and the desire and took action. Sometimes I got faulted for grinding too much…. for having a hard time taking a break. There is no doubt life needs balance but there is also something to be said about that thing called “Sweat equity”. Sweat equity builds Spirit, it builds a certain type of mentality, it builds a certain type of individual and once you have it it’s really hard to turn it off. When life gets hard sweat equity kicks in. When my husband lost his job, sweat equity kicked in, when my dad had his stroke sweat equity kicked in, when life gets overwhelming sweat equity kicks in.
I am surrounded daily by people with “Sweat equity”. You show up when you don’t feel like it, you build spirit, you have built a certain type of mentality and you have fallen in love with the process. I see YOU grinding and I see your “sweat equity”. I see you making an impact through your own life on the lives around you. Circumstances don’t have to define our lives, we define our lives! I am grateful for “sweat equity” and for all of you who inspire me daily with your own.