After reading Blakewell's essay on how images can "do" things, I couldn't agree more. I have a particular picture that hangs above the corner where I keep all of my gym stuff, and it happens to be the same one that is hanging above this post. For those of you not familiar with the man or picture above, he is Matt Serra, former UFC Welterweight Champion. Matt, like myself, is from Long Island and I currently study Brazilian Jiu-jitsu under him. I have always planned to get my degree, but after I graduate from Villanova, I plan to pursue a career in professional MMA. I have already competed in amateur fights and I know that this is something that I love and want to continue doing. But to get good at this sport a ton of time, effort, and determination is required. As much as I love it, there are days when I want to stop; days when I weigh the pros and cons of this being a valid life choice and really have to fight to stay on path. This picture stops me dead in my tracks. At one point in time, Matt Serra was just a kid from Long Island, like me, and he progressed into one of the best mixed martial artists in the world for a time. That could be me. Will it? I'm realistic, so probably not. But seeing this picture, the picture of a shocked and excited newly crowned world champion, and one that I know personally, motivates me every single day to put as much effort into this as I can to be the best I can be. I may want to take a day off from kickboxing - until I see this picture. I may decide I'm going to half-ass it at the gym one day - until I see this picture. One simple photograph does more to keep me motivated than any pseudo-Dr. Phil motivational speaker could ever do for me. Of course knowing the back story and having a personal relationship with the person in the photo makes it mean more to me than the average person, but it also speaks to the power of what an image can do.
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