“You know, life hits hard. Real hard. But it’s not about how hard you get hit; it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. It’s about how much you can take and still keep pushing ahead. That’s how winning is done.

Everyone gets hurt—metaphorically, symbolically, or physically. You root for the person who gets hurt but keeps getting back up, because we all get knocked down.

Life is undefeated; you can’t beat it. There’s no tomorrow; you just have to keep moving forward. That’s a creed I’ve followed my whole life.

Life is like a movie—we’re born into it, and eventually, we become the directors of our own lives.

I ask you: If you were in a movie of your own making, would you be proud of the part you’re playing? I realized that I wasn’t proud of my role, so I took drastic steps to change that.

To progress, you have to shed old skin before new skin can grow. It’s like ripping off the old and becoming a different character. I was raised by a tough father, no stranger to pain. But I learned early on that I wouldn’t break, no matter what.

I had heroes—like Steve Reeves in ‘Hercules Unchained’—who inspired me. I wanted to be like them, strong and capable. So I started lifting weights, building armor, feeling like I could take care of myself.

But my journey wasn’t easy. I faced financial struggles, had to sell my dog, and had only $106 in the bank. Yet, I kept writing, driven by a burning desire to succeed. I wrote the script for ‘Rocky’ in just three days, even though most of it was terrible.

When I pitched the script, they liked it but didn’t want me to play the lead. They offered me huge sums of money to sell the script, but I turned them down. I knew that if I sold it and someone else succeeded, I’d be devastated.

So, I stuck to my guns, even when the movie didn’t initially resonate with audiences. I’ll never forget the moment when, after a disappointing screening, the audience applauded. It was a turning point—a moment of validation that changed everything.

At the end of the day, if we can say we lived with integrity, took the blows, and still prevailed, then we’ve lived a good life. That’s the epitaph I want for myself and for anyone who faces life’s challenges head-on.”