Peter Sage: See Stars, Not Mud

 

“Your environment never defines you; it simply gives you the opportunity to find yourself.” - Nipsey Hussle

In his TEDx Talk titled, How to Become Your Best When Life Gives You Its Worst, Peter Sage says the most incredible adventure he has ever had the privilege of living was spending 6 months in one of the world’s toughest prisons.

How?

He said, “One of the greatest days in a human being's journey of emotional maturity is the day that we realize that life is not a comfort-centric experience but a growth-centric experience.” 

Peter was an entrepreneur and personal growth expert, and he said being in jail was an opportunity for him to walk the talk that he had been teaching for so many years in a real environment, and an opportunity to learn new lessons about himself and life.

Peter wrote a story called Mud or Stars about two prisoners sitting behind bars. One prisoner looked down and saw the mud, and the other looked up and saw the stars. 

Peter said, “Your environment never defines you; it simply gives you the opportunity to find yourself.” How you see yourself and see the world impacts how you get through and grow through The Pit.

Peter says, “When you are faced with uncertainty, you need something to hang on to. Behavior follows mindset, not skillset.”

One of the keys to life is to see stars, not mud; to train your mind to see the good, not the bad, so you can have a positive attitude and mindset no matter what obstacles you have to face.

Reflection Question: When life gets hard, how do you find the stars, not the mud?

Nipsey Hussle: It's Supposed to Be Hard

 

“It's supposed to be uncomfortable, it’s supposed to stretch you, and it's supposed to be a burden. Wrap your mind around it, accept it, and embrace it.” - Nipsey Hussle

Rapper Nipsey Hussle was not only a great lyricist but also a successful businessman who talked a lot about wanting to grow, expand, and become the best version of himself.

He said that growth and the added responsibility that comes with it are hard. As his career and businesses grew, he had to learn how to juggle and manage several different roles at the same time, and his mentality when everything started to become too much and overwhelming for him was to remember that this is what it is supposed to look like and feel like when you are pursuing greatness; it isn’t supposed to feel comfortable.

He said when it becomes a lot, remember that it is supposed to feel like a lot, it’s supposed to feel uncomfortable, it's supposed to stretch you, and it's supposed to be a burden to a degree. He then said you have to wrap your mind around it, accept it, embrace it, and catch the wisdom from it.

The growth that comes with pursuing greatness is supposed to stretch you and make you feel uncomfortable, and he said you have to be able to wrap your mind around getting comfortable being outside of your comfort zone and learn how to embrace it. 

The road to success is long, hard, and lonely … but it’s worth it if you know it’s supposed to be hard, learn how to handle hard better, and don’t quit.

Reflection Question: When it gets hard or uncomfortable, how do you respond vs how you want to respond?

Naomi Osaka: Beginner's Luck and the Victor's Test

"Every search begins with beginner's luck. And every search ends with the victor's being severely tested." - Paulo Coelho

When I graduated college, I was one of those people who vowed never to read another book until I found The Alchemist, the story about how Santiago, a young Andalusian shepherd boy embarks on a journey to the Egyptian pyramids to fulfill a recurring dream of finding treasure, where he learns to listen to his heart and discover the true meaning of life.

This quote reminds us that while our journey might start on the right foot with Beginner’s Luck, true success often requires overcoming The Victor’s Test: a significant challenge that demands resilience, perseverance, and the ability to adapt to unforeseen obstacles.

The rise of Naomi Osaka in tennis perfectly illustrates Coelho's words. She burst onto the scene with an almost perfect blend of power and grace, seemingly effortlessly winning Grand Slam titles. This 'beginner's luck' quickly catapulted her to global stardom but also brought intense media attention and immense pressure, which led to struggles with anxiety and depression.

Osaka openly discussed her mental health challenges and withdrew from tournaments to prioritize her well-being. This period of self-reflection and recovery tested her resilience and determination.

Osaka eventually returned to the court with a renewed focus and a deeper understanding of herself both physically and mentally.

Beginner’s luck helps us get started on the right foot and builds confidence, but nothing great is accomplished without overcoming a great challenge. To do so, have grit, resilience, perseverance, and the ability to adapt to unforeseen obstacles.

Reflection Questions: How do you leverage Beginner’s Luck, and how do you manage and overcome The Victor’s Test?

Simone Biles: Bouncing Back

“Always work hard and have fun in what you do because I think that's when you're more successful. You have to choose to do it.” - Simone Biles

Simone Biles is the most decorated gymnast in history, but at the peak of her career at the 2020 Olympics, she had to withdraw from several of her events and took a two-year break to recover from the twisties.

The twisties happen when a gymnast is in midair and loses their sense of where they are and how they’ll land, making the move risky. Biles described it as being "lost in the air."

When she took her break, many people sympathized with her and applauded her for addressing mental health, but many others took this time to take shots at her and criticize her for a lack of mental toughness.

This showed not only how a mental block can keep you from performing your best, but how many people will take any chance they get to knock you down.

People will build you up when you are climbing the mountain, but when you get to the top, those same people will tear you back down. On your journey, you will have to have the mental toughness to not only manage not only your own mental health and inner voice but also the outside noise.

Simone Biles recovered from the twisties with the help of therapy, hard work, and a focus on mental health. She also rediscovered her joy for the sport and set goals on her own terms.

Have a vision, create a plan, have the discipline to stick to the plan, and most importantly - enjoy the journey.

Reflection Question: What inner and outside noises are distracting you, and how can you overcome them?

Noah: Faith and Obediance

 

"People should be your greatest commodity, your greatest resource in a high-performance environment, people are the center of everything when it comes to high performance." - Greg Carvel

Most coaches have favorites. Their favorites are the ones who show up, do their job, and add value to the team. UMass hockey coach Greg Carvel says one selfish mindset can destroy a culture, and they rank their players either a 1, 2, or 3.

1s = The low-maintenance favorites who do what they are supposed to do.

2s = Teammates in the middle that are either squeezed into being 1s or squeezed into being 3s and kicked off the team.

3s = High maintenance and need to be removed from the team.

When you do the right thing the right way, you help yourself and the people around you, and you are likely to both get more opportunities and take advantage of those opportunities.

A Biblical example of someone who was given one of the most important opportunities in the history of the world is Noah.

By the time Noah appeared in the Bible, God was upset with the people he created because there was so much evil and wrongdoing in the world. In Genesis 6, God decided to remove all people and all animals from the earth, but Genesis 6:6 says, “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord,” and God decided to save Noah and His family. Noah was one of very few 1s in a world full of 3s.

When we do the right thing, our coaches and leaders will find favor in us, and good things can come from that favor.

But then Noah had to do the hard part: he had to actually obey God by building a massive ark to save himself, his family, and all the animals on the planet. I could imagine seeing everyone talking about and laughing at Noah for building this ark; they probably thought he was going crazy. I don’t know if they had ever experienced rain before, and even if they had, they must have thought Noah was losing his mind.

But Noah obeyed God and did what he was told.

Obedience can feel foolish. It might mean going against the crowd, facing ridicule, and stepping into the unknown. But true faith isn't about understanding; it's about trusting God, doing what He asks us to do, and trusting that everything will work out for good.

The story of Noah reminds me that:

• God's promises are true: Even when it seems impossible, God will keep his word.

• Obedience brings blessings: Though the journey was challenging, Noah and his family were spared.

• God provides a way: He gave Noah specific instructions and the strength to carry them out.

Noah saved himself and his family by being a good person and by obeying God. God did the rest. Do your part. Make good choice and do what you can, and trust that God will take care of the rest.

Somethings to Think About

1 - What is your biggest takeaway from this devotional?

2 - When do you find it easiest to hear from and obey God?

3 - When do you find it hardest to hear from and obey God?

4 - What does fully trusting God and obeying His word look like in action?

My Prayer

Our Father. Thank you for all the blessings and opportunities you have given me and will continue to give me. Please help me stay close to you so that I identify the opportunities when they come, and please help me seek your guidance first and always so I can attack each opportunity the right way. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Michael Jordan: Chasing Challenges

"If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” - Michael Jordan

When Michael was a sophomore in high school, he tried out for the varsity team but was cut. Jordan said he went home demoralized, felt like the coach didn’t like him, and didn’t want to play sports anymore. His mom said they cried together, but instead of complaining to the coach or principal or allowing him to make excuses, she told him, “If you really want it, you work hard over the summer,” and he did. 

That summer, he focused and practiced all day. His mom said the basketball never left his hand, and the next year, he not only made the team but eventually became the best player in the state and one of the best in the country.

Jordan’s father said, “If you want to bring out the best in Michael, tell him he can’t do something, or he can’t do it as good as somebody else.” He said Jordan would take it as a personal challenge to prove you wrong.

Jordan never stopped looking for challenges to make him better. When he got to North Carolina, he would play the team’s star, James Worthy, every day after practice. Worthy said, “I was better than he was … for about two weeks. He wanted to learn, and he wanted to grow quickly. From month to month and game to game, he was soaking up information.”

The best of the best run to challenges, not from them, and they search for people better than them because iron sharpens iron.

Reflection Question: When you face challenges what do you do? Do you run to them or from them?

Angela Duckworth: Grit

“Our potential is one thing. What we do with it is quite another.” - Angela Duckworth

Championship football coach Nick Saban says every great team has three things: a vision, a plan, and discipline. Discipline is both doing what you are supposed to do when you don’t want to and not doing what you want to do when you know you aren’t supposed to do it.

How do we have the discipline to do the right thing all the time? Grit. 

Grit is passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. Grit is sticking with your plan and having discipline no matter what tries to get in your way.

Psychologist Angela Duckworth says the number one indicator of success is grit. Grit can be the one characteristic that can help you overcome any obstacle you will have to face.

How do you build grit? It starts with having a growth mindset: the belief that you have the ability to get better at whatever you work at.

Nick Saban was from a small coal town in West Virginia where many people didn’t even think about going to college, and because he believed in himself and surrounded himself with the right people, he became a championship coach and taught hundreds of athletes how to be champions themselves.

He did it by having a vision, a plan, discipline, and the grit to fight through everything in his way. You can be what you want and do what you want, but you will have to go through difficult storms and circumstances to do so.

Reflection Questions: When the journey gets tough, what will you do? Will you quit, or will you have the grit to dig in, learn, grow, get better, and keep going?