Welcome to PBTG POST UP! I started this blog as a way to express my commitment to mental health and wellbeing by discussing topics about one or more of PBTG’s 7 Pillars of Success Beyond the Game. So what do the Pillars represent? I’m glad you asked!
Gallup did a study of people from more than 150 countries with results revealing five universal, interconnected elements that shape our lives. The book Wellbeing: The Five Essential Elements is a great resource to better understand what contributes to your wellbeing; however, there were two elements that are crucial to my own wellbeing that I believe are essential to adequately define success for Professionals Beyond the Game.
My personal transition from being a collegiate athlete was far from an easy process, one in which I am still learning how to navigate. Having gone through my own battles with depression, I know first hand how important having a strong network that’s aligned with the values by which I live is. It is because of this support, I am able to share these words with you today. It's also why I felt it necessary to acknowledge the Network and Spiritual pillars and create PBTG’s 7 Pillars of Success Beyond the Game.
Each pillar represents an area in my life I believe is essential to realize my abilities, cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively and fruitfully, and be able to make a positive contribution to my community. Anchored by my Spiritual Pillar (the area of my life that holds all the other Pillars upright and together), I strive to surround myself with a loving network of people and resources to sustain a state of Love & Belonging. As these pillars grow stronger, so does my ability to enjoy a high quality life. When athletes, or anyone for that matter, are struggling in any one of these areas it can damage overall wellbeing making it virtually impossible to achieve one’s full potential. I would say it’s literally the removal of your safety net.
For me, playing with purpose is all about competing to be the best I can be. When all 7 pillars are in alignment and full of love, I feel like I am in the zone at peak performance working towards something bigger than myself. So when I POST UP, I’m celebrating the teammates and resources that continue to love and support me, and thus love and continue to support each one of you. We’ve defined what the 7 Pillars mean to us as an organization, and I have defined what they mean to me as shown below. The true benefit of having a strong network aligned with the values by which I live brings together a wide range of community teammates that are committed to success beyond sports — not just the athletes and their families, but also businesses, healthcare professionals, civic organizations, nonprofits and investors. Our teammates commit to a shared vision that every former collegiate athlete will have the resources necessary to be successful in life beyond sports.
So get in the game and share how you define your 7 Pillars! Interested in learning more about PBTG? Send me a message.
