How an Athletic Injury and Darkness Led to a New Beginning
It’s true you don’t find yourself until you experience pain.
I was a normal college student-athlete until that day. A day that turned my life upside down. A day that gave my life a new meaning.
During my sophomore year of college, I suffered a major knee injury. My injury resulted in eight months without sports. I thought my life was over.
Before the injury my whole life was sports. From my earliest memories, I had a ball in my hand or at my feet. Sports were my everything.
My passion for sports often blindsided me.
I choose sports over faith.
I choose sports over academics.
I choose sports over friendship.
I choose sports over family.
Sound familiar? I am sure many of you can relate to these choices.
However, in the blink of an eye sports were taken from me. I battled anxiety, depression and a loss of identity through this time period. It was a dark time that I was able to get through by seeking help from professionals, family, and friends. Taking action was the key.
I’m writing this now because I can only imagine a lot of athletes are feeling these emotions during the pandemic.
Athletic seasons have been canceled. Contact with coaches and mentors have been restricted. Interactions with teammates are limited.
My message to you: Weather the storm. Keep fighting. You are going to be okay.
Slowly read the below quote:
“Hope is being able to see the light despite all the darkness” — Desmond Tutu
Little did I know that my injury was going to be one of the greatest blessings of my life.
It changed me. It led me to faith. It led me to mental performance skills. It led me to my purpose of helping others.
There is no question the COVID-19 pandemic will have a lasting impact on your life. However, will it be for the positive or negative. Remember — only you can decide.
Start setting goals. Be intentional about your life. Practice positive self talk. Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable. Be mindful. Celebrate the small victories. Visualize success. Seek help.
This dark time gave birth to the Win The Mental Game Community and The Athlete’s Edge Journal. My co-founder and I created this mental performance journal to empower athletes on and off the field. Our journal is designed to increase self-confidence and mental resilience through positive psychology.
We can’t think of a better time to launch The Athlete’s Edge Journal as athletes prepare to achieve their goals for 2021 during the pandemic.
It’s time to stop sitting on the sidelines and ignoring the mental side of the game. Remember, you can only achieve your dreams through action.
Here is to all of the positive beginnings that come from the darkness of 2020.
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BJ Merriam is the co-founder of Win The Mental Game and creator of The Athlete’s Edge Journal. The mission of Win The Mental Game is to help grow your mental toughness through the power of positive psychology and goal setting. Whether you are a professional athlete, a former college athlete, or have aspirations of greatness in the future — our services are for you.
