|
|
|
|
|
Mindset Mastery eNewsletter
|
|
|
Can Sport Change the World?
|
|
In a time of so much division, I believe sports are a powerful and positive force to bring people together.
You see…
Sports create moments that get people through their greatest challenges in life as well as support them through the best of times.
Sport does this by allowing us to care and connect to a like-minded group.
It’s a place to share moments of
…dreams & depression
…happiness & healing
…fun & fears
…triumphs & tears.
That’s because those who participate in your sport are your family –connecting, playing, learning, bonding, fighting, loving, ranting, and raving.
It’s a place to be raw, real, & resilient through the mental and emotional fluctuations of sports and life.
On a broader scale...
we don’t even have to speak the same language to play sports with each other. Each sport has it’s own set of rules that every participant understands –despite race, religion, sex, or nationality.
In fact...
there is no other event in the world that brings more people together than the Olympics. The great thing about the Olympics is that each of us experiences a deeper connection that goes beyond sports.
And that is a beautiful thing.
|
|
|
This deeper connection in sport allows our spirits to soar.
It’s a place we are able to get lost in the moment.
Letting go off suffering, sadness, & success.
No past.
No future.
Just moments of being in the now.
It’s a place to release the heaviness and relish in utter elation.
It's an activity that brings us a sense of inner peace, balance, and abundance.
It's a place we tap into the natural rhythm, flow, and ease of things.
A place where we experience a sense of awe.
A sense of bliss.
|
|
|
For me, it’s pretty simple.
Sport FILLS ME UP.
...it strengthens my mind and body and soul.
...it helps me to relax into my true nature and open up to the power within.
...it provides me with curiosity to discover my pure potential and that of others.
Ultimately, participating in sports makes me want to be a BETTER PERSON.
And that, my friend, is how we start to change the world.
Rumi captures the essence of this…
“Yesterday I was clever so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”
Even Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first black president and legendary activist most notable for his efforts to dismantle South Africa’s institutionalized racism, ranks sport high on the list to make powerful, transformative changes.
|
|
At the 1995 Rugby World Cup in Johannesburg, South Africa, Mandela convinced a divided nation of blacks and whites to unify and root for their home team, the Springboks –which only had one nonwhite player.
With a crowd almost completely white, Mandela went onto the field wearing a Springboks jersey. The crowd was silent. Then, the crowd began chanting “Nelson! Nelson! Nelson!” The South African Springboks went on to win the game (Carlin, 2009).
Mandela recalls,
“Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than government in breaking down racial barriers.”
What do you think?
Has your sport been a positive and powerful force in changing yourself and the world?
If so, how?
Then, I invite you to take it one step further...how can you do 1 thing today to positively transform yourself or your community?
If you feel compelled...I'd love to her about it! Send me an email to share the love.
|
|
|
|
|
-Chris
Carlin, J. (2009). Invictus: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Made a Nation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Do you have a friend who would benefit from this information?
Then forward this and share the love.
|
|
|
Go beyond what you think you are capable of doing!
Contact Chris to see how she can speak to your athletes, coaches, parents, or administration on mental training for sports or wellness. Sessions are in-person, phone, Skype or FaceTime.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
