Can’t tell you how much this excites me to see someone like Ray Lewis, a man known on the field & in the weight room for his intensity, drive, determination, & competitive nature, put this out there.
I speak to athletes all the time who ask me – “Eric, how’s it possible that what I do, in this pro sports world, will relate to the average person…that my message can resonate.” Look no further than a comment like this.
The ultra-driven athlete is no different than the ultra-driven lawyer, doctor, entrepreneur, ceo, ambitious entry-level employee, person who wants to be the greatest parent in the world, store owner (& on & on) – we are taught (especially here in the west), that more is always better.
We are always patted on the back for being the first in the office/on the field, the last one to leave, the one who works through the night.
This whole MH epidemic, we hear theories of it being tied to the timing of when smart phones were introduced…& while its def a factor, this attitude we live with here: get ahead at all costs, is a HUGE piece we aren’t focusing on enough. It’s a major factor as to why ppl don’t even consider their MH (they are nose down in their passion).
Like Ray, I’m not advocating for dragging it. I’m advocating for balance. I’ve learned that time w fam/friends, doing activities we love, finding hobbies, meditating – not only gives us balance we sorely need for our health, but it actually makes us FRESHER & BETTER able to perform at a higher level, longer, in the activity we are passionate about. If we can get more folks like this to promote balance, we will make a huge dent in this MH epidemic.
