Growing up, I was a socially awkward kid who didn't know where he

Hear now the words of Johnny Gargano, a warrior of the squared circle, who laid bare the struggles of his youth and the sanctuary he found in his passion: “Growing up, I was a socially awkward kid who didn’t know where he fit in, and I didn’t have many friends, but I always had wrestling. I always had what was in between those ropes, and that always put a smile on my face no matter what.” These words are not only a confession of loneliness, but also a song of salvation, reminding us that every soul may find a refuge, a place where it belongs, even when the world offers rejection.

The meaning of this quote lies in the eternal search for belonging. Many wander through youth as strangers to themselves, uncertain of their place, burdened by awkwardness or isolation. Gargano speaks for them all, for every heart that has known the sting of exclusion. But he also reveals the secret of survival: to find a craft, a passion, a space that welcomes you as you are. For him, it was wrestling—a sacred ground “between those ropes,” where the awkward boy became a warrior, where weakness was remade into strength, and where a smile could blossom even in the face of loneliness.

This truth has echoed across history. Consider the story of Ludwig van Beethoven, who as a boy felt estranged and misunderstood, burdened by a stern father and a world that did not yet see his worth. Yet he had music. At the piano, he was no longer a misfit child, but a vessel of divine sound. Though society may not have given him comfort, his art became his refuge, his voice, and his power. Just as Gargano found joy in the wrestling ring, Beethoven found meaning in music. Both teach us that in devotion to passion, the soul finds its true home.

The wrestling ring, for Gargano, was not merely sport. It was temple and forge. There, he could shed the labels the world gave him—awkward, lonely, unfitting—and take on a new identity born of courage and discipline. The ropes marked not just boundaries of combat, but a sanctuary where his heart could rest and his spirit could soar. In those moments, he was not the boy without friends; he was the warrior with purpose. And in this transformation, the smile upon his face was not the mask of pretense, but the true reflection of a soul in harmony with itself.

Yet his words also reveal a greater wisdom: that it is not the absence of struggle that defines us, but the discovery of what sustains us through struggle. Life will place many in the shadows of doubt, but each person carries within them the potential to find their sanctuary, their craft, their calling. Whether in art, in sport, in faith, or in service, there exists a place where the weary soul can rest and be renewed. Gargano’s story is not only about wrestling, but about finding light when all else seems dark.

The lesson for us is clear. Do not despair when you feel you do not belong, for belonging is not always given—it is discovered, often in the places where your passion ignites. Seek out the craft, the pursuit, the love that calls to you, and there you will find strength. And when you find it, hold it fast, for it will be the anchor that steadies you in the storms of life, just as the ring steadied Gargano in his youth.

Therefore, let each one act: embrace your passions, even if they seem strange to others. Dedicate yourself to your craft, for in it you may find the identity the world withholds. And above all, smile when you find your sanctuary, for that smile will not be shallow, but the deep joy of a soul that has discovered its place.

Thus, the teaching is eternal: Though the world may cast you as an outsider, passion will make you whole. The ropes of the ring, the keys of the piano, the brush upon the canvas—these are not just tools, but gateways to belonging. Find them, and you will find yourself, and the smile that arises will be truer than any crown the world can bestow.