When lions become lambs
Doctors do not do salsa. Tigers do not eat out of your hand. And yet a transformation of this magnitude seems to have occurred in Mike Tyson, the former international boxing champion. It is quite difficult to imagine a person, who acquires international
acclaim for being the best amongst his kind, give up a much cherished profession and yet continue to enjoy all the joys of life. One does not go from being a god to being man without at least turning bitter. And yet, Mike Tyson seems to have done all this.
Mike Tyson is the first man in the history of boxing to ever hold the titles of World Boxing Association, World Boxing Council and International Boxing Federation simultaneously. A master of his art, Tyson at one point overcame all the boxing gurus that
came before him and claimed the title of international boxing champion for himself. It is therefore quite difficult, nay impossible to imagine a man who once broke bones for a living pose in front of a camera with a couple of kids playing in his lap or take
to the stage and do some extraordinary comedy. Yet Tyson seems to have done it all. The one-time boxing brute today acts, plays music, does comedy and, the most unexpected feat of all, he dances!
It’s now been more than fourteen years since Tyson was considered an international champion and more than five since he took a hit in the ring, and yet the fans continue to expect his return. He though is quite persistent in his determination to not to return
to that world. Towards the end of his career he took up drugs, gained up to 160 kg and definitely seemed headed towards a bankruptcy. He pulled himself together when he realized that he had climbed all the heights one possibly could while in the ring and it
was now time to step down. Tyson himself admits that the point at which he realized that he was going through the motions without really enjoying the fight was when he realized that it was time to exit the ring. The past decade has therefore seen him take
on a number of hobbies including acting in the box office hit Hangover
as well as in Every Little Step and this versatility is what makes him a well rounded personality.
Most importantly he seems to be quite optimistic that the future holds even more possibilities. Acting seems to have become a very important part of his future career that he shall be investing both money and time in. In his words:
"I'm talking big-budget movie."
His optimism does seem to be a mark of his personal strength especially considering the fact that a couple of years ago Tyson came very near to being imprisoned for possession of cocaine and that it’s been a very short while since he suffered the trauma
of the death of his daughter.
And yet Tyson is filled with joy over becoming a daddy again soon. He continues to fight drugs and has become a vegan as well. His own motivations perhaps best explain his inexhaustible optimism and strength. In his words:
"I want to be a good person, not just be known as a great person."
Regardless of whether Tyson really is rehabilitated or not, he does seem to have acquired peace after many torturous years and many meteoric ups and downs in his personal life. His words hold an immortal lesson for all those individuals who had once shined
brightly in the sky but today were coping with the daily, ordinary existence:
"I had an interesting ride but I'm not bitter. I'm just grateful with my life and what it now is.”
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