I have to admit that professional athletes have never been my number one source of inspiration.
Yes, I enjoy watching them perform at their best, and I’m often left in awe by their incredible abilities and skills in whatever game they’re playing. It’s almost like watching something superhuman at times. The Olympics have always fascinated me for this reason. Humans are capable of absolutely amazing things.
But in my eyes, showing unmatched skill in a sport didn’t translate to being an inspiration outside of that game, court, or event. It’s like I had decided, in my mind, that athletes were strictly athletes, not people you could obtain valuable life lessons and wisdom from.
For some reason, I never used to see athletes as being “spiritual” or capable of great depth, the way I saw meditation teachers and artists. I (wrongly) assumed that the well of knowledge athletes possessed centered around their sport and aspects of their physical health, such as nutrition, fitness, and workouts.
But I’ve recently begun to see how wrong I’ve been. And it’s all thanks to the one and only LeBron James.
LeBron James Doesn’t Need an Introduction
What he does need, however, is some credit where credit is due.
I never dreamed that I would hear LeBron James’s voice coming through my phone when I opened the Calm app a few weeks ago. A professional basketball player talking about the importance of meditation, taking naps, and sticking to a sleep schedule!? Come on!
LeBron James is the last person I expected to have a solid meditation practice. However, not only does he have one, but it could knock the socks off mine any day! He’s highly committed to all aspects of his well-being: spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical. He’s much more focused than I am. He’s more consistent than I am. And as a result, he’s a lot wiser, too!
I don’t know why LeBron James having a Calm series was so hard for me to wrap my head around, but now that I have, I can start reaping the benefits of all the wisdom he shares in it!
Here are some of the most profound takeaways I’ve gleaned so far.
1. Create a Legacy That’s Bigger Than Yourself
“Of course I want to be remembered for basketball. Of course I want to be in the record books and in the Hall of Fame. Of course I’m proud of how I impacted the game. And for sure, basketball’s what got me here, no question. But when I think about what drives me, what I’m here to do, it’s about more than the game.”
James talks about a company he founded, called UNINTERRUPTED. Its LinkedIn profile describes it as an athlete empowerment company. Part of the description reads, “UNINTERRUPTED is changing the way athletes engage with the public and empowering them to be known and valued for more than the sport they play.”
Judging by my own inability to see James as more than an athlete prior to discovering a new side of him on Calm, I can see how necessary this is.
As he talks about in the session, sport is about more than sport. It’s about discovering who you are and becoming yourself. You learn how to live life, how to be a better person, and what’s important in life by playing the game. The skills and discipline you develop on the court become the values you live by off the court.
There is always a higher purpose than what’s appearing now. No matter what you do or where you are, you have a chance to make things better. Always be asking yourself what you can do to leave a room better than you found it.
There are so many more ways to contribute to a better world than we even recognize. There are thousands of tiny opportunities every single day to be a good person. As James says, all you have to do is look around you and start to think about how you can love the people closest to you better. What could you do for them today that would make them feel happy or loved, or help them out?
That’s how you create a legacy that’s bigger than yourself or your job title.
“I am an athlete, and I’m proud of it. But I’m here to do more.”
— LeBron James
2. Don’t Let People’s Interpretations of You Define You
In another session, James talks about all the hype and noise surrounding his rise to fame, and what it was like for him facing all that scrutiny and being in the spotlight from a young age.
He says, “Early on in my career, I had a hard time with it. I wanted to be liked. I wanted to please everybody. I used to hear all the commentary, criticism, and I would let it get to me. At that time, I wasn’t mature enough to put it in perspective. The more I listened to that stuff, the more it crept into my mind, and I started to believe it.”
Worrying about what other people think and being afraid to step outside the box is something we can all relate to. By nature, we want to fit in and be liked because we’ve come to see it as a form of security and survival.
Over time, though, he discovered that the chatter was always going to be a part of his career and his life—there was a never-ending supply of it! Opinions, doubts, commentators, naysayers, peer pressure, analysts, competitors, critics, influencers, friends, family, coaches. They all had something to say, and they always would have something to say.
What he eventually realized was that none of it meant anything. It was all just a bunch of noise, and over time, he got better at turning down the volume and blocking it out.
“None of it matters, because they don’t know the end of the story that you’re writing. That random dude on Twitter doesn’t know the vision you have for what you want to do in this world.… There’s all this chatter about what you’re supposed to do, or who you’re supposed to be. But they don’t decide who you are. You decide who you are.”
People can say whatever they want to say about you, but the truth is, they don’t know what they’re talking about. Only you do.
Nobody Is Who You Think They Are
I’ve had my own mind opened by James’s Calm series, “Train Your Mind,” which I highly recommend checking out.
Prior to discovering it, I’d fallen prey to the belief that athletes are no more than the sport they play. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. I’ve learned a ton from this series alone, and it’s changing the way I think about people, and about life in general.
Here’s one final quote from LeBron James to leave you with:
“Being a champion is not something you accomplish once, and that’s it, you’re done. It’s a way of thinking that I walk around with, and it affects how I approach my work, my game, and my life. Being a champion is a mindset.”
Champions can be found in all different forms. You don’t have to be a professional athlete, a billionaire, or a beloved celebrity in order to qualify as a champion.
If being a champion is about your mindset, as James says, then we all have that opportunity.
It’s just a matter of thinking about the kind of person you want to be, what legacy you want to leave behind, and who you’re going to let define you—and then acting on what you find.