The first step to gaining any control over mental stumbling blocks is the willingness to embrace honesty and your truth.
The second step is a full assessment of the reality of events and digesting what is true/false, productive/unproductive, and what is or is not valuable. This information enables us to be open to new perspectives and more effective strategies to stay at peak performance.
The third step is transforming our current character into our best self through discovery of identity, purpose, and community. This growth in character increases our awareness and confidence to prepare, confront, and dominate the threats against our performance by the adversities we face everyday.
Character is our best self in any event, challenge, or periods of adversity.
Personal development discovers that best self and empowers us to act..
Getting ahead of situations that challenge us is how we ensure that our character will not be negatively impacted. By applying what we learn from both our strengths and weaknesses, the right strategy can be used for a better outcome during confrontation.
How we handle things we cannot control reveals who we really are. Vetting our approach and the decisions behind them, provides clarity for how to develop new habits. Being comfortable in uncontrollable situations gives that power back to you.
Repeating the same mistakes is a huge character flaw. Not growing from those mistakes is even worse. Personal and character development is vital to build that bridge from a place of ignorance to a destination of self awareness to make right choices.
The impossible is a breading ground for fear. But it also can be a fertile ground for positive change. Developing character skills that stands firm against relentless opposition opens doors to leadership.
The evidence of our character consistently builds our identity. By shaping our identity with new character skills, life changing impact will continue to be made on others as well as our self esteem.
Trust takes a long time to build, but a short time to be destroyed. Character development is important to establish that consistency required to earn trust from others.
I was the 5-Star big time recruit with very high expectations for myself, my school, and my family. Nobody including myself wouldn't have said success was not in my future. It was guaranteed by the young man I thought I was, hard worker and driven with a positive infectious attitude.
But my foundation quickly unravelled my first year of college. Problems with my family at home began to intensify. My good academic reputation from high school could not cut it in college. I was struggling miserably. Adjusting to a new region of the country was harder than I thought. My identity was shook for the first time and I did not know where or who to turn to. I was lost.
My motivation to perform was replaced by how can I fix my issues to return back to the man I believed I was. I could not fix home and it sent me down into a deep depression. I couldn't fix my academics fast enough because I lacked many skills I was never aware of. My mind could not concentrate on the high athletic expectations bestowed on me and my relationships with my teammates and coaches began to suffer. I became a student-athlete in college no one back home would even recognize; angry, bitter, uninspired and extremely unhappy. To say the least my story ended with me not reaching even 10% of my goals. I left college with a degree but a very broken man.
Looking back I make no excuses, but I ask myself this question time and time again. Why did I not have someone or just one my coaches reach out to me and ask "What is wrong? or "Are you OK?". I think about all the athletes I have coached for the past 25 years and how I changed the course of their lives with just one concerned conversation. Just one shift in perspective saved their athletic careers. Just one sincere level of support stopped them from making the biggest emotional mistake of their life. JUST ONE!
So this is why I am so passionate about athletes and their personal/character development. It can make all the difference in the world. Personal/character development gives athletes the greatest advantage to reach their full potential as well as achieving a fulfilling experience on and off the field.
B.S. Communications Northwestern University
4 year letterman Football - Northwestern University
M.S. Professional Studies - Lipscomb University
Performance CoachIng Certification- Lipscomb University
Global Leadership Certification - Lipscomb University
3 years of Mental Health & Chemical Dependency Experience
My mentorship gift began in the arena of athletics. I am a high school state football champion. I am a four year Northwestern University Football letterman. I have over twenty-five years experience shaping and molding the lives of student-athletes and professionals athletes.
I have been committed to a life of learning about Jesus Christ for over 25 years. Through my faith, I am able to be fully devoted to my family, loving my wife with my whole heart, and raising my children with reverence that they are not my own but special gifts from God.
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