Who’s In Your Wolf Pack?

Over the years friends come and go.

The friends who were so important to you in high school and college have now dwindled down to a select few.  They’re the ones who have been there to support you through the tough times and make fun of you when you were feeling good about yourself.  Not to mention helping you launder money from that bank heist back in 2003.

The point is that sometimes the thought of going through the mundaneness of day-to-day activities would be overwhelming if you didn’t have your friends there supporting you.

Not only your friends, but your family.

These two groups form your wolf pack.

To know that these guys and girls would do anything for you and help you when you need it will give you the strength to carry on when you’re tired or doubting yourself.

It makes you feel amazing, almost like you’re invincible sometimes.

I was reminded of the importance of friends recently when I saw a video on Joe Lauzon’s YouTube site.  Joe recently beat Melvin Guillard at UFC 136 and the video showed his friends (I’m assuming his long-time childhood friends) cheering for him back home.  You could not deny how much they supported and loved Joe and even though the video is hilarious, there was something much deeper going on.

The bonds we form and the friendships we make reveal our character in many ways.  What are our friends like?  Are we actively working to fortify our relationships with our friends and family and bring out the best in them, as they are trying to do for you?  Isn’t that our responsibility as part of their wolf pack?

And more importantly…

When was the last time you offered a random stranger a hand when it looked like they needed a friend?  Not everyone has the luxury to have the love and support that many of us take for granted.  When was the last time you took action to Pay it Forward?  I’m talking about giving to someone unexpectedly and not telling anyone about it?  Giving someone a kind look when they are stressed, paying for the person behind you at the toll booth or even volunteering your time to others – these are so simple to do, but we miss these opportunities everyday.

Dare to Be Great

So what are you doing with all of this support?  Are you living up to your potential?  If you’re not, you better take a hard look in the mirror because you have responsibilities.   Not only to yourself, but to those who are giving you their unconditional love and support.  If you aren’t doing everything in your power everyday to challenge yourself and go for your dreams, then you’re letting yourself down and you’re letting your wolf pack down.

That is the bottom line.

And what happens if you are getting it done everyday?  Do you quit when you reach one goal?

Eric Thomas talks of an old Emmitt Smith commercial where he had just won a Super Bowl with the Dallas Cowboys.  In the commercial, Emmitt was bench pressing and stated “Now I can rest.”

He won the Super Bowl and now he can rest.

So when he was bench pressing, he paused at the lockout for 2 seconds, and then continued the set.

That was his rest period.

Just that 2 seconds.

It tells you something about champions.  They are relentless over-achievers who are never satisfied.  You’ll find in life, those who are successful, share this same trait.

They’re not happy with average.

They don’t miss opportunities.

If you have the support in your life and you’re not paying it forward, you’re missing the opportunity to be the best part of someone’s day.  And that small act of kindness, could change the course of someone else’s life in an instant.  Finally, show your wolf pack respect by achieving all of the great things they always believed you could achieve.

Here is a video of Joe’s friends bringing some serious wolf pack.