Dwayne Johnson reveals the brutal lessons about toughness and love he learned from his father
"My real dad was Rocky Johnson. His father died when he was thirteen. During the holidays after his dad's death, his mom had a new boyfriend. One night, the boyfriend got drunk and pissed on the turkey. My dad grabbed a shovel, drew a line in the dirt, and said, 'If you cross that line, I'm gonna kill you.' The drunk asshole crossed the line, and my dad knocked him out cold with the shovel."
"The cops showed up and told my grandmother, 'When he wakes up, one of two things is going to happen. Either he's going to kill your son, or your son's going to kill him.' Their recommendation was that one of them had to go. She looked at her son, Wade, and said, 'You have to go.' At thirteen years old, he was out on the streets."
"The reason I tell that story is because that was my dad's capacity for love. That's the man who raised me. It was always, 'Come on, work through it. You'll be good. Get up.' That's how I grew"
Major cheat code in life: Be the one who reaches out. Text first. Call first. Plan first. Initialize first. Most people wait to be chosen. Be the chooser. Connection requires initiative. Friendship requires effort. Love requires action. Stop waiting to be picked. Start picking. Initiative is attractive.