Those who know me, know that fashion is not my strong suit…. I am known mostly for my broad brimmed hat that I wear on the sporting clays range at the request of my dermatologist – not for any other sense of style (its actually pretty funny – some fellow shooters I have shot with didn’t recognize me later when I did not have my hat on!). My only foray into the world of fashion happened quite accidently. When I decided to make a habit of going to the gym, my bride went to our local REI store and picked up some work out shorts and shirts for me to wear. One of the brands she brought home was “Vuori”. I had never heard of it before, but the material used on their t-shirts was the softest I had ever felt! Plus, it had performance features like breathability and anti-odor properties. I became a fan (and no, I am not a paid influencer). I have expanded my Vuori holdings to include all of my workout shorts, joggers and t-shirts as well as some casual wear. Check them out!
But an advertisement for Vuori is not the purpose of this post! But an ad I got from them recently is! As a lot of retailers do, Vuori send out periodic emails touting their latest designs, etc. One of the recent ones I received had a number of stories related to some of their professional athlete collaborators. The title of one really caught my attention. It was from pro surfer Taylor Knox and was entitled “The Mind Leads the Body” and included a very inspirational video.
Before I present the video link, let me clue you in on some of the comments to watch for that really struck me from the video.
Taylor said that one of the most valuable lessons he learned was the motivation comes from the mind while inspiration comes from the body. The body will follow what the mind tells it. This became especially important after he had surgery for a condition he was born with – spondylolisthesis. Even the doctor that performed the surgery told him he would never surf again at the risk of paralysis. But he did not accept this – he mentioned that “how you feel is how you are going to heal”.
With the help of books and others, he learned how to get out of his brain and into his mind leading to a very successful surfing career. Part of this included learning how not to overtrain and how to use time to reflect to get better at letting go of things that are not useful. At age 52, he is still pushing the boundaries of surfing! He learned over time how to be happy where he is sitting right now and learned that what you are is more important than what you do. He transformed himself from someone who attacked obstacles with stubbornness and will into a more mature approach utilizing patience and focus.
So, without further delay, here is the link to the video. I hope you enjoy is as much as I did. One cautionary word, there is a gratuitous drop of the “F-bomb” at one point in the video.
Maybe it will help you find ways to allow your mind to lead your body in your chosen sport or other challenge!