Theme of the Week: Life Moves On, Move With It
“Though you break your heart, men will go on as before.”
- Marcus Aurelius
Brother,
There are moments in life where everything feels like it stops. Moments where your heart sinks, your thoughts spiral, and all you want to do is step away from it all.
I experienced this many times during my professional soccer career.
One of the hardest came after signing with a club and being told a month later that I would never play for them. To ensure I couldn’t leave, they placed an unrealistic price tag on me, knowing no other club would pay it. I felt trapped, frustrated, and completely broken.
What followed was a six-month battle that eventually led to my release from that club.
During that time, there were days where all I wanted to do was shut down, isolate, feel sorry for myself, and book the next flight home.
But after sitting with it for a few days, I realized something important: No one was coming to save me.
Everyone around me was focused on their own path. Life continued moving forward, regardless of how I felt.
I was left with a decision: Stay stuck in that moment or move with life.
So I chose to move.
I took extra reps before and after training. I spent more time in the gym. Since I wasn’t playing matches, I had no excuse not to push myself physically and mentally. I used that period to develop areas of my game I wouldn’t normally risk trying in competition.
The anxiety and frustration were still there, but life was moving and I had to move with it.
Three and a half months later, just after Christmas, I received a call: I was going out on loan to a new club. I had just 24 hours before my first match with a new team, new players and a completely unfamiliar environment.
I trusted the preparation and work I had put in, and that loan spell became one of the best stretches of my career.
I was named Championship Player of the Month and Supporters’ Player of the Month, conceding just one goal over four and a half weeks.
Looking back, I can see clearly that some of the most painful moments I experienced were also the ones that forced me to grow the most.
The lesson is simple, but not easy.
The world does not stop because you are hurting. That does not mean your struggles are not valid, or that support does not exist. It means that at some point, you must decide to move forward. You must be willing to save yourself. Sitting in pain, waiting for things to change, will not move you forward. Choosing growth will.
You may not know when the next opportunity is coming, but when it does, you want to be ready.
Life moves on, so choose to move with it.
Stay strong, even when you are not. It’s okay, you are not alone.
With love always,
Michael Argyrides
Founder - Path to Becoming
