My life has been shaped immensely by sport and I feel a great deal of gratitude for the fortunate life I have had. Upon reflection, I am thankful for the many individuals who have befriended me, motivated me, and believed in me. Many people have guided and mentored me in business and life, each of them making a difference and uniquely special; there is something to learn from every interaction. I believe connecting with others is important and being respectful and empathetic is something I try to show, always. Movement to me has always been about learning and striving to do the best I can at everything I do. I am inspired by people who take a situation and make the best of it, even if it is not a good one.
My philosophy is to make a difference in quiet ways.
I hope to instill in my children that you must work hard to get better, or you will not improve. I would love if they learned to do everything with intention. One of the many transferable lessons from hockey that I learned, is that it is important to set up conditions for people to succeed. This is true in sport, life, and business. Although I believe in encouraging and pushing people to become their best, it is important to recognize that there is not one singular approach that works for all people. It is important to read people and find an approach that is meaningful to them. In addition, motivation must come from within, instead of it being driven from the outside. This can be a driving factor toward surpassing limitations and achieving things some did not think would be possible.
I believe that a positive mindset coupled with a belief in the self will help you achieve success. It took me a while to understand the power of the mind, and I continue to try to improve and learn in this area. I have learned to not let my mind manipulate or play tricks with me; self- talk has allowed me to push boundaries. For example, I believe that sometimes your brain may tell you that you are “done”, but really you have a reserve capacity left to tap into. To tap into that extra capacity, you need to use an inner voice that becomes a mantra of “don't give up.”
David Goggins says “The ability to not want to do it, but still do it; if you can get through doing things that you hate to do: on the other side is GREATNESS”.