The Self-Help Book A Football Player Read on the Sidelines is Exploding.
Here is the start of an article I recently discovered on CNN:
“Over the years, cameras have caught NFL players doing some memorable non-football things on the sidelines during games. Tom Brady once hurled an electronic tablet in frustration. Three members of the Seattle Seahawks were fined for eating hot dogs during a 1995 preseason game.”
This introduction immediately sucked me in.
But what I want to talk about today is this:
Broadcasters spotted wide receiver A.J. Brown engaging in an unusual activity during the Eagles’ 22–10 playoff victory over the Green Bay Packers last Sunday evening in Philadelphia.
Brown sat on the sideline bench while his team played, engrossed in a well-worn paperback book.
What I’m Reading
Have you heard of Han Kang?
The South Korean author received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2024.
The Swedish Academy recognized Kang for:
“her intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life.”
She explores memory, violence, and the body in her moving prose.
Deeply Disturbing and Extraordinarily Moving
I am reading her book Human Acts, which recounts a violent uprising in Gwangju, South Korea, in 1980.
She confronts some of the darkest aspects of human experience. This work is disturbing yet deeply moving.
I look forward to reading her novels The Vegetarian and The White Book over the next month.
Inner Excellence: Train Your Mind
The title of the book Brown is reading is Inner Excellence: Train Your Mind for Extraordinary Performance and the Best Possible Life.
I am not alone in discovering this book: On Monday afternoon, it was #1 on Amazon’s bestsellers list.
I want to share my takeaway lessons with you.
Author Jim Murphy emphasizes:
- Developing self-mastery. This approach includes letting go of what you cannot control.
- Overcoming anxiety. How can you build powerful mental habits, including resiliency?
- Removing mental blocks (also known as getting out of your way).
- Training your subconscious mind to release limiting beliefs.
Peak Performance and a Fulfilling Life Are Connected
Inner Excellence emphasizes the importance of:
- Cultivating mental strength
- Emotional resilience
- A deep sense of purpose.
A key idea is aligning your thoughts, feelings, and actions with your core values.
Doing so can help you unlock your potential and optimally perform, even under pressure.
The toolkit includes self-awareness, mindfulness, and a positive mindset to overcome obstacles.
Extraordinary Performance & Pursuing the Best Life
Extraordinary performance and the pursuit of the best possible life are intertwined.
Focusing on personal growth, cultivating meaningful relationships, and living with intention create a foundation for personal and professional success.
The book has helped athletes achieve higher performance levels despite doubts.
Moreover, the author notes that “you’ll learn how to live with deep contentment, joy and confidence in your everyday life.”
The book gives practical exercises and insights to help readers develop the mental and emotional skills necessary to excel in all areas of life.
The Power of the Human Spirit
The book reminds me that true success lies not just in external achievements but also in the inner journey of self-discovery and personal fulfillment.
This observation rings increasingly true as I age.
That’s pretty cool, a professional football player reading on the sidelines.
And now the book is flying off the shelves, #6 on the Amazon.com charts.
Fly, Eagles, fly!
One More Thing
I have to share one more story.
As an undergraduate student, I visited my brilliant girlfriend Audrey’s sister and brother-in-law.
Audrey’s relatives knew I was into the philosopher Hegel, so upon arrival at their home, I was delighted to see a lovely copy of Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit.
I opened it to find a comic book! They had replaced the cover. Hmm.
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