Living with Compassion and Combatting Anxiety | NFL Player Duane Brown

Duane Brown (0:00)

For me, what I've had to learn is to be present. That's something that I struggled with before. I have a very, just racing mind at times.

And you start thinking about five to 10 different possibilities and different outcomes of certain situations that haven't even happened yet.

Or conversations you're having, you start having a conversation and then looking, you know, two topics down into the conversation that haven't started yet and thinking, okay, they're gonna say this and how do I respond to that? And once you do that, you start thinking about situations and hypotheticals that don't happen and think about a bad outcome of it and it can give you anxiety. And it's stuff that's like fairy dust. It doesn't exist. You know what I mean? And it's like, and I used to do that all the time.

Michael Gervais (0:57)

All right, welcome back. We're welcome to the Finding Mastery podcast. I'm Michael Gervais. And by trade in training, I'm a sport and performance psychologist, as well as the co-founder of Compete to Create. And I'm incredibly excited right now because we just launched our first Audible original. So it's about six and a half hours. It's an audio book, basically. And its subtitle is An Approach to Living and Leading Authentically. And so it's built on this premise that everything you need, it's already inside you. And so what we do is we take an in-depth look at how world-class athletes and artists and entrepreneurs and top business leaders, how do they organize their inner lives to explore the edges of their potential? And at the same time, help others do the same. And so this book really is about celebrating the applied science and the insights and practices that are at the center of human flourishing. And like I said, I couldn't be more excited. It's an incredible companion to our eight week online course. And the eight week online course can be found at competetocreate.net. And I had some of my best work. It's like, really, it's the approach to being able to invest in yourself, to have all the mental skills that are grounded in good science, but also have been tested on the frontier of elite sport and elite business. And this companion book, it's an incredible addendum to it, which is science and stories meets very applied takeaways. And so you can get the Audible original at audible.com forward slash compete to create. Again, audible.com forward slash compete to create. It would mean a lot to me if you checked it out. And it would also mean a lot if you wrote a review, if you liked it, if you're so inclined. And so let's jump into this podcast here.

The whole idea behind these conversations is to sit with people who are extraordinary, who have invested in their inner life and have refined their craft into the space of nuance. And what we want to do is we want to understand how do they do it? How do they organize their inner life? And when they bump up against challenges, how do they pivot and adjust? And there's science that sits underneath these conversations, but these conversations are really about understanding what they're searching for and then being able to figure out what are the takeaways where I can apply some of those same principles and practices in my own life.

I want to take a minute here to announce a really exciting event that we have coming up. As you continue to navigate the challenges and opportunities of 2024, I want to pose a question. What are you doing right now to be great with stress? How are you working with stress on your pursuit towards your most important ambitions and goals? And I just want to get right to the heart of the key elements, one in particular, for what it takes to excel in today's high heat, high stakes world. Because stress is not the problem that we think it is. Stress is a synonym for change. And our ability to be agile with change, that is the real opportunity at hand. So if you're wanting to unlock extraordinary results and sustainable performance in your life, it's not about avoiding or reducing stress. And as simple as that sounds, it's very tricky to do, but it is about fundamentally changing your relationship with it. And that's why I'm so thrilled to invite you to a special event. It's a free virtual event that we're offering. And it's called The Power of Embracing Stress. It's on Wednesday, March 6th at 2 p.m. Pacific time. So, to sign up, just head over to findingmastery.com/training. Whether it's advancing in your career or improving your health or cultivating stronger relationships, I think a new approach to stress can be one of the most powerful unlocks for you in your life. So join us for this free virtual training, The Power of Embracing Stress, on Wednesday, March 6th at 2 p.m. Pacific. Go to findingmastery.com/training to sign up once again. That's findingmastery.com/training. And I'm really excited to see you there. Finding Mastery is brought to you by HIMS. HIMS is changing men's healthcare by providing simple and convenient access to science-informed treatments for erectile dysfunction, ED, hair loss, weight loss, and more. Health struggles like ED are common, but they can be hard to talk about when it comes to finding a solution. That's why HIMS has been a game changer for so many men. The entire process is 100% online, and if prescribed, your medication ships directly to you for free and in discrete packaging. No waiting rooms, no pharmacy visits. Plus, you can manage your plan directly on the HIMS app, track progress, and learn more about your conditions and how to treat them from leading medical experts. So, if your loved one has been struggling with ED, I really want to encourage you to go check out HIMS. And I know ED often has a psychological component as well. So be sure that you're stacking some psychological best practices into your daily routine as well. Start your free online visit today at hims.com/findingmastery. That's HIMS, hims.com/findingmastery for your personalized treatment options. hims.com/findingmastery. Prescriptions require an online consultation with a healthcare provider who will determine if appropriate. Restrictions apply. See hims.com/e-o-f for details and important safety information. Subscription required. Price varies based on product and subscription plan.