Healthy Relationship to Sport Part 4 of 5

Inner Wisdom, Part 4 of 5 of my recent FEAT speech…

Pro athletes, who are living their dreams, and idolized by many, are thought to be powerful and in control, but is this true? It can be, but, I’d like to offer another perspective.

Power can be defined as having control over ones life, but fan appreciation, financial reward, and expectation to perform, can leave the pro in a painfully powerless position. When you’re under contract, your job is to take the risk, day in and out, which can slowly skew and over-ride inner wisdom and thus enjoyment of the sport, this I experienced many times.

When my creative expression and contribution in the world through bike tricks was no longer able to sufficiently deliver ‘all of me’, I found myself trapped and longing to contribute to those things in the world I saw as most important, but not knowing how. I began interpreting my job as if I was a monkey who had to jump on cue.

For these reasons, psyching myself up to do something that deep down I knew was a bad idea was often easier than saying no– contributing to the world in new ways based on my inner wisdom could-inner conflict built.

Accessing and acting on this inner wisdom takes courage and mindful practice, and is necessary for the healthy evolution of sport. No longer is it sufficient for pros to pass along just technical skills, their inner experience needs to be communicated so future generations of athletes can integrate this wisdom and build healthier, bodies, minds, and spirit.