Former boxer and professional wrestler Marc Mero isn’t your typical famous athlete. Sure, he’s had quite a ride – from hockey and football to pro-wrestling in the 90s and earning four titles as a boxer, to brief bodybuilding stints and living the good life made possible by fame and fortune.

But things rarely go according to plan.

The famous athlete who used to appear in WCW, WWF, WWE, and TNA didn’t always have a picture-perfect life.

See, before being ushered into the limelight, his life was quite simple. Born in Buffalo, New York, Mero and his two siblings were raised by their mother who had to work two jobs to support them. At a young age, he already took a liking to sports. When his mom realized how passionate he was, she didn’t hesitate to encourage him and make him believe that there was nothing he couldn’t achieve.

In a motivational speech delivered to an audience of students, Mero shared,

“My mom, she really empowered me to become special in sports. The greatest gift my mother ever gave me was that she believed in me.”

But it was precisely that which the athlete took for granted.

He described how, despite his difficult attitude as a teenager, his mom would always be there: waiting up for him when he’d stay out late with friends, always reaching out despite his refusal to talk (even slamming the door on certain occasions). Basically, he just wanted her to leave him alone.

Mero didn’t immediately shape up from there. He went as far as overdosing and carelessly going with the wrong crowd.

“I hung out with losers. I became the biggest loser of them all because I gave up everything I dreamt about as a little boy because of who I chose to surround myself with.”

It took a life-altering situation for Mero to snap out of it and change his ways.

When Mero was in Japan for a wrestling show, a promoter knocked on his door and advised him to call home. That was when he found out his mom died. Shaken up by the news, the pro athlete rushed out of his hotel room, took the elevator to the lobby, and ran out into the street. The emotions were too much. Even when he was already at the funeral, he was still in disbelief.

Expressing regret for all that he took for granted, Mero addressed the crowd as though he was face to face with his mother.

“Everything I am, everything I hoped to be was because of you. You loved me so much, you gave me a life. You worked two jobs. You’re the only one that ever believed in me.”

Mero had to learn the hard way that it was never the money or the fame that mattered. That’s why he didn’t hesitate to pass along the important lesson. The athlete concluded his inspirational speech by urging the audience to always extend kindness to everyone.

“I learned what is truly important, and that is how precious this gift of life is, and how quickly it could be quickly taken away. I’m not worried about tomorrow. It’s not what’s in your pocket that matters; it’s what in your heart that truly matters.”

Watch the video below for a valuable lesson on love and kindness.

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Source: Motivation2Study 2, MarcMero.com