This past week marked the physical demise of one of professional wrestling’s biggest names, The Ultimate Warrior. Born James Hellwig, the Warrior spent a majority of his professional career in the spotlight; being the hero to thousands upon thousands of wrestling fans thanks to frenetic energy, superhero-like appearance, and a penchant for speaking in a manner not even the greatest philosophical minds could interpret. In essence, The Ultimate Warrior was one of a kind – a pop culture icon.
But as with many heroic figures, time has a way of tearing apart some of the reasons why the man behind the image was looked upon so positively. The Warrior’s political standings, opinions on religion and sexual orientation separated him from some of the same fans who grew up wanting to be like him. Yet there was still a piece of the Warrior’s creed that represented how we all hope and should live – always believe. For the Warrior, always believing meant pushing away boundaries and making yourself a better person; thus helping the world around you in the process. Like rain creating ripples in a body of water so does your betterment spread to others.
It is only after we’ve passed from this world do our purest intentions, both successful and failed alike, become immortalized. The truth of our nature, the potency of our actions, inevitably resonate through the hearts, minds, words, and, most importantly, spirits of those who witnessed our days on this planet. It becomes our obligation to leave a positive impact on the world and those left in it after we’ve passed. If a person can say he or she has accomplished that worthwhile, irreproachable goal, then it can be said that individual truly lived.
