I sold everything I owned, drove to Texas, and became a full-time professional triathlete.
How fast and strong could I be? How did I stack up against the world's best? Fueled by passion, grit, and determination, I dove headfirst into the pursuit of excellence. But as injuries, hormone dysregulation, and relentless fatigue piled up, I found myself sinking deeply into a life of comparison and self-doubt. I didn’t realize it at the time, but my ego had taken the wheel.
Eckhart Tolle describes the ego as living in a perpetual state of "not enough"—an insatiable craving for more. No matter what we achieve or create through the ego, it will never satisfy us because the ego thrives on lack.
As athletes, we pride ourselves on qualities like toughness and resilience, pushing through obstacles with unwavering determination. But what happens when those obstacles bring us to a halt? When stress accumulates, it manifests as injury, chronic fatigue, or even a loss of joy for the sport we once loved. It’s as though our bodies, aligned with our spirits, are shouting: “Stop. Get real. Be present. Ground yourself.”
The ego resists the present moment, always dragging us into the past or projecting us into the future. This disconnection keeps us from the true power and peace found in the now.
Our energy, flow, and full potential as athletes emerge when we ground ourselves in the present moment—mobilizing every cell in our body toward the intention of this session, this stroke, this step. Not for what it might give us later, but for what it brings to us right here and now.
Responses