Ah yes… it’s Sunday football today. I do love football. The players are such amazing athletes- and their mental stability is also very admirable. Barack Obama is the same…. No matter what you think of Obama or football, there is no question they know what to do under pressure. A reporter asked Obama how he handled the stress of the campaign. His answer actually surprised me: “I don’t let the highs get me too high or the lows get me too low.” My first thought was- wow, that is excatly what I do every day in order to stay as stable as possible. Here is an interesting fact- Obama and I went to the same high school in Hawaii. He was two years before me, but I didn’t know him!
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I just saw an interview with the Baltimore Ravens rookie quarterback Joe Flacco. When asked how he handled the pressure of being a rookie in the NFL he said, “Stay level headed- exude confidence and let that travel throughout the rest of the team. ”
Another interesting fact- Joe Flacco makes a lot more money than Barack Obama!
My goal is to keep my moods stable and become the leader in all that I do- and sometimes leading is knowing when to let others lead! It took me many years to get well enough to even be well enough to work- and now that I have created a life where I can work more, I can learn how to stay calm and be a leader.
What are your views on this? I always wonder if people look to athletes as mental health role models like I always do!
Julie
Give me a list of books of people who are athletes that have been successful because of their ability to take control over their emotions. I have a difficult time with this and especially the approval and non-approval comments and how affected I am about how my performance appears to others. It is all about the need for approval. Thanks a lot for any info in this area.
A fellow peer.