Finding Your Eye of the Tiger
If you’ve ever seen the movie Rocky, you know what the eye of the tiger is all about. You get knocked down … but you get up again … and nobody is going to keep you down. That’s the eye of the tiger in action. It’s setting your eyes on the prize and going for it. It’s fierce results. When you have the eye of the tiger, you know it. You’re unstoppable.
But what happens when you lose that eye of the tiger? What happens when life knocks you down and you’re not sure you can get back up? How do you find your eye of the tiger, then? Where does the eye of the tiger even come from? …
Inside Out
It comes from inside. Don’t look outside for it. Look to the inside. Remember the Cowardly Lion, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Man? They all had it all along. The Lion had courage, the Scarecrow was a smarty … and the Tin Man was all heart. The Wizard simply helped point that out. I can only imagine that forever after nobody messed with the Cowardly Lion, there was no problem the Scarecrow could not solve, and the Tin Man I’m sure went on to be a role-model for sensitive guys across the land.
Mental Midget
One of my favorite wrestling coaches had a way with words. When you didn’t give your best, you were a “mental midget.” Mentally you gave up before the fight was over. Good guys finished last, not because they didn’t have the skills. It wasn’t because they didn’t have the physical strengths. It was because they didn’t have heart. They didn’t have mental toughness. When the going got tough, they surrendered. Once you give up mentally, what’s left? Your body will be more than happy to surrender. Remember, it’s what your mind can conceive that your body will achieve.
Don’t be a mental midget.
Intestinal Fortitude
I remember the first time I heard the phrase “intestinal fortitude.” I didn’t know what it meant, but it sounded neat. I had been hustling on the baseball field and I remember my baseball coach remarking to my Dad that I had intestinal fortitude. I later asked my Dad what it meant and he said, “You don’t give up.” You’re relentless. You drive from the inside out.
I remember thinking, doesn’t everybody? … The reality is, not everybody knows that they can jump the hurdle, or tear down a wall. They give up before they are beat. They don’t know that if at first they don’t succeed, they can try again. Nobody reminded them that if they are going to go down, then go down fighting. There’s plenty of time to rest, after you’re gone.
What It’s Like to Give It All You’ve Got
You know that point where you just can’t give anymore? That’s not it. It’s past that. It’s beyond what you even thought you could do. Sometimes it’s way beyond even that. It’s the target past where you aimed. Did you know Bruce Lee always aimed past his target? When he fell short, he still hit his mark.
When you give all you’ve got, you’re not asking yourself, what if I run out of steam? You’re not telling yourself, I can’t … you’re telling yourself you think you can. Maybe slowly at first, like the Little Engine that Could. But then something happens and it’s a change in state. You’re fully engaged. It’s just you and the challenge before you. Your challenge looks you in the eyes … and your eye of the tiger looks back.
Whether or not you suddenly hear the theme song to Rocky, your inner strength comes from beyond you. It’s more than all your prowess. It’s more than your mind, body and heart. It’s more than the sum of your strengths. The mountain before you flinches and gets ready to move out of your way.
Remember the Feeling
OK, so you want your eye of the tiger. You don’t need the Wizard to remind you. Just remember the feeling. Simply remember how you felt, when you felt your best. Remember how you felt, when you felt your strongest. Maybe it was the first time you lifted more weight than you ever thought you could. Maybe it was the day you reached deep inside and called upon your inner strongman to open that jar of peanut butter that just wouldn’t give … and it suddenly flew open as if your hands were possessed by the Hulk. That’s the feeling.
Whatever helps you remember the feeling … hearing a favorite song … snapping your fingers … or playing a scene from one of your favorite movies … use it. Remember when the Bad News Bears won despite the odds? Remember when Cool Hand Luke went on a rampage and shoveled like there was no tomorrow? Remember Stand and Deliver? Remember Braveheart? Remember Dead Poets Society? Fill your head with the movies that move you. It’s those scenes you’ll draw from when your knocked on your heels and Clubber Lang has is fists raised to beat you down. It’s how you’ll respond with … not this time … not this day … and not this way. Whether it’s your inner demon or a real-world bully … you’ll raise your arms in triumph as you run up the steps, knowing you stood strong when tested.
It’s a Choice
What if you just can’t find your eye of the tiger? What if you looked inside and all you find is an itty, bitty kitty?  Fine … start small. Even the mighty Oak was once a sapling. At the same time, maybe you just need to kick your courageous arse in gear. Find your catalyst. Play your inspirational head movie with the dials all the way up. Get it in gear. If you get knocked down, get up again. Success is all about getting up to bat more often. Not every ball needs to get knocked out of the park. Remember that it’s not how many times in life you get knocked down, it’s how many times you get back up. Most importantly, remember that your eye of the tiger is a choice. It’s like a muscle. The more you flex it, the stronger it gets.
Photo by Adrian Boardman
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[...] wrote an article for Cincom’s Expert Access on Finding Your Eye of the Tiger. It’s really about how to get going when the going gets tough. When Steve [...]
What a great article, J.D.! As always, it was wonderfully written and you’ve done such a great job of addressing some very important points related to this topic. I feel inspired now!
Interesting the idea that ‘eye of the tiger’ is like a muscle. Lets you put setbacks into the exercise/getting ready category rather than simply oops.
Dear Fred – stop for stopping by! – Steve -
Dear Positively Present – unfortunately j.D. is not present — but I am – Steve Kayser. j.D. is indeed a wonderful writer and a wonderful addition to Expert Access.
“What It’s Like to Give It All You’ve Got” – you know, I don’t think I ever did that. Not even in law school. This new business of mine, freelance blogging, is the closest I ever got to really giving it all I’ve got. But still… nah. Not really. Not fully.
I guess I’m just lazy.
@ Positively Present
Thank you! It sounds like you found your eye of the tiger.
@ Fred
It really is like a muscle and it gets better the more you flex it.
Good stuff. An important skill to have in life. A lot of finding that eye is to find that state where you won’t give up. Finding music that inspires this is helpful. As are movies or other pictures of that type of intensity and coming out on top. I was taught not to quit and actually, I’ve had to learn to balance as well and learn when it makes sense to.
Even what can be “negative” emotions can be converted into energy. At times, converting what would be “collapsing and giving up” into anger adds energy to get yourself above the feelings of weakness. I’ve personally experienced and played with the difference between depression and anger given my emotional makeup. Depression for me is anger turned inwards, so if you turn it outwards -volia. Flight into fight.
But it’s like an engine on nitrous. In case you are not into cars, nitrous-oxide gives engines a big boost, but will blow it up and/or shorten the life of the engine the more it’s used. A little nitrous and the right channeling and you turn that into short-term power. And if you realize what you are doing, you won’t hurt anyone. You’ll be able to create energy from something that would normally eat you. If the energy is already there anyway, you might as well channel and use it.
However, too much anger or no channeling yields destruction. You’ve just got an explosion and a lot of collateral damage, just like with and engine. Even running this way too long eats away at you and destroys the engine. The body wasn’t made to be in fight mode all the time and certainly our relationships are not either. Everyone needs a break.
Rob
What a timely post. I feel like i am knocked down and looking something or someone to lean on. Thank you for being the catalyst.
Inspiring post, I can feel the juices flowing just reading it. Its great to unleash the tiger inside and your post does a fantastic job of coaching us how to do it. Thanks!
JD,
“Intestinal fortitude” is a phrase that stuck after I read the whole article, which was a great piece of work by the way. I often wonder where strength comes from, and though I’m not sure it originates from the intestines, that certainly sounds like an interesting origin! It’s so deep that we don’t even think about it often – and that’s what strength like – from somewhere deep within that we don’t even realise we have until we need it. Good food for thought here.
This is wonderful article, thanks JD / Steve Kayser for such a great article. Its a good inspirational / motivational article, and presented in such a thoughtful way. I bet I am inspired now to find my eye of the tiger! aarrgghhh
@ Vered
I think the key to giving all you got is, you need a reason. For me, I was always curious about what kind of results I could get, if I pushed myself more.
@ Rob
That’s a good way to put it … “find that state where you won’t give up.”
You reminded me of Seth’s Dip metaphor. Know when to quit, and know when to lean into the Dip.
Good example and detail. Anger sounds like one drive. I think excellence is another. One thing I use, is I simply want to pass the question, “did I give it all I’ve got?”
Wow, what a great article — it’s really hard whether you are you are full time employee or a budding entrepreneur to keep the fire burning all the time. So it’s great to see an artile like this that helps you draw on different sources of re-invigoration! Great post JD!
–Kevin
[...] Finding Your Eye of the Tiger [...]
I am ten and this is very powerful to me i didn’t think that just getting back up would… well you get the point. i have been lazy my entire life but now i’m going to stop being lazy. Thank you whoever wrote this…!!!