When we first started our college campus tours back in 2018, I shared a story abt a member of the football team at @boisestateuniversity who’d opened up in front of his peers.
We were in a room full of Boise athletes – men & women, coaches & ADs…1,000+ of them, all-in, & after we’d spent abt an hr & a half taking them thru what we call a #SameHere Sit-Down, we opened it up for questions.
We had @bigjoe there from the NFL as one of the guest speakers…& this particular Boise player who raised his hand, was an upper class-men, on the defense. In a deep booming voice he asked: “When any of us get on the field before that first snap, that first hit & we’re feeling…” & THAT’s when it happened:
As he said the word “Anxiety” his deep booming voice became a high pitched squeal. No one in that room knew how to properly react. So I took the silence as an opportunity: “That’s the greatest display of courage I’ve seen from anyone – including those of us presenting, tonight.”
In asking abt anxiety on the field, something us “tough athletes” think it “ho-hum,” it exploded out of him – bc he’d never put a voice to it before. That high pitch explosion was living inside of him.
Why bring this up now? Last wk we released an episode of our podcast #WAALC, w @ryanhilinski who’s brother, Tyler, died by suicide very publicly, while QB as Wash St. A friend of mine listened to the episode, texted me, & said she started crying bc of how much it resonated.
In her text she said she wanted to call me, but that I was NOT to say anything. She wanted to talk (imagine me keeping my mouth shut ;)). But I did, & she cried her eyes out, abt the suicide of a young man she’d hung out w 2 yrs prior, the nt before his own death by suicide.
Feelings of guilt of what more she could’ve done that night, still lived inside her…but by her own admission, she always kept it inside. On the phone, I listened as it exploded out of her. For someone who doesn’t to talk often, she shared how much better she felt after.
In a world of “The Body Keeps Score”…sometimes we notice what lives in us (pain, IB, headaches), but sometimes we don’t. Let it OUT. It’s corrosive to our system – no matter what it is. Inflammation of cells, weakening of our immune system, changes to our gut – & on & on.
While I’m on the topic of openness: two things to end with. 1) Our buddy I mentioned above, Big Joe Fauria from the Lions, just lost his mom. I’m so proud of him for being vocal abt it. He loved her so much. Go to his page & show him love. Great big-hearted giant. 2) There’s a lot of hate going on in this world directed at specific ethnicities & religious groups. Hate against anyone, is wrong. I’ve shared a lot abt this in Stories, recently. If you’re a company/page that claims to be open abt condemning hate, you should be that way against ALL hate, not just when it’s convenient/what’s popular.
