I don't know if you're a professional wrestling fan but Bret Hart has always been a hero to me.
He's a huge star in the wrestling business, retired now but a huge star still nonetheless.
He didn't become a success overnight in the business, he had to work really hard, scratch and claw his way to the top to make a name for himself and when he was ontop of the world it was great he had a good long run and was made five time WWE champion.
Even though the outcome of wrestling is scripted they tend to only give the world championship to guys that have worked hard enough and proven that they are the best entertainer and performer in the company at the time, the champion also makes the most money in the company aside from the boss.
In 14 years working for the WWE Bret Hart only missed two shows thats how dedicated he was to his company and his craft.
Ontop of the world like this you'd think he'd never fall or a least have a graceful and honorable retirement right?
No.
Instead he was betrayed by the same company he worked so hard for all those years (you can read all about it by looking up "Montreal Screwjob" on Wikipedia) and after doing this horrible thing to him that same company came up with an irresponsible stunt for his brother Owen to do who was another professional wrestler. The stunt was that he would come down from the rafters as part of a super hero gimmick they were running with him at the time but the harness broke costing his brother his life.
Did Bret Hart give into his anger and retreat from life disgusted with it all after these two horrible things happened to him, did he quit striving in life?
No.
He continued to wrestle for the competing promotion at the time WCW and was given the time onscreen to say a few words about Owen and his tragic death.
If memory serves correctly it was a day or a week after his brother's horrible and unexpected death that Bret came out in front of millions of fans and in so doing showed his bravery and courage as he talked about his life and Owen's despite the pain, anger and confusion he must of been feeling at the time.
The video of this moment can be seen by clicking the youtube link below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPPGSFMXELo
Tragedy didn't end for Bret Hart there.
Sometime later he suffered a career ending injury when Bill Goldberg kicked him in the side of the head during a match and was so inexperienced it was a real kick and not a proper wrestling kick that is supposed to look good but not actually hurt the other wrestler. The kick gave Bret another in a long list of concussions during his career and messed up something in his neck that could not be corrected with surgery.
After this he retired from wrestling and tried to make the best of his life and it was going good, but one day while riding his bike he hit a pothole and flew over the handlebars and landed on his head and after having so many previous concussions he suffered a stroke which doctors say they don't know for sure if anyone will ever be able to recover from. Strokes are a play as you go type of condition. They gave Bret six months as a timeframe to recover if he ever would. The left side of his body was paralyzed.
Lying there did he give into bitterness and give up on life?
Hell no.
He fought to recover from that and after many painful months of rehab he did.
After this he got a divorce and married a new woman who he recently divorced and his good friend who was like a brother Chris Benoit committed that double murder suicide and this guy had been trained by Bret's father.
And yet still none of this awful horrible stuff none of it ever made the Hitman give up and quit striving in life.
He is still moving forward and getting ready to make a new DVD on his career with WWE.
Whenever I am down in life I always think of how my hero Bret "The Hitman" Hart always overcomes adversity sooner or later because he never stops trying.
Now its true that not everyone in life even if they try and try again overcomes adversity but dammit I don't know about you but I'd rather go down fighting than to just give up entirely.
Anyway sorry for the long winded post and to let you know Interceptor's post was excellent as was aliasguy's recommendation that you should check out joekerr's threads.
Before I go here is a few more links...
1. Bret Hart speaking in an Australian wrestling promotion after recovering from his stroke to be well enough to do so.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NYqsCRMehs
2. A very inspiring post by a poster named Cutler whose life was literally saved and turned around by things that the great legendary Sosuave poster Pook wrote.
http://www.sosuave.net/forum/showthread.php?t=54270
3. And if you're a fan of Rise Against's music this song is one of my favorites, its called Survive and its lyrics have really helped me when I've been down because they are so true and I think they apply to you right now as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19X7rttooH0