But one of the things I learned in there, which I thought was great, is you talk about the difference between being a fortune teller and a truth teller.

Yeah.

When we're in this fear, what we're really focusing on is the future.

And we're predicting the future.

Well, the best way to predict the future is to stop predicting the future.

So stop being a fortune teller and really be a truth teller in what you have control over right now.

What is your next action? What is your now goal? Now as an acronym for no opportunity wasted.

What's the difference between a kind leader and an effective leader?

So, yeah, we have a little bit of a niggle, right, in some of the joint areas that just happens in runners.

Yeah.

There's a time and a space to let those emotions out.

Let the sadness out.

Let the frustration out.

Because if we don't give space to that, it's human experience.

It's a letdown.

When an endurance athlete is suffering or before a race and the voice in their head says, or they start freaking themselves out, how should they respond? What kind of self-talk should we be using?

Mm-hmm.

So maybe this is your first attempt at this trail or your first attempt at this distance or the first time you've ever done anything like this.

So you may have put pressure on yourself in a different format, but now this is a new format.

pressure that you used to put yourself in an older format because you know what you could do you know what you were capable of you were more comfortable not completely ever are you i think 100 comfortable but you were more familiar perhaps is the better word so therefore certain pressures certain goals that you set for yourself are justified but then in today's race in today's event I'm just asking if the pressure is justified.

And I want you to really take a moment and either own it or dismiss it.

Because sometimes we put unnecessary negative pressure on ourselves.

So just really look at the pressure you're feeling, look at the pressure you're experiencing, and ask yourself, is it necessary? And I know that sometimes other people put that on you, but you're either going to internalize it or not.

But do you encounter people having that maybe vulnerability to be able to talk to you about it or talk about it more in general? Do you think a lot of people hide this and like hide that like big butt that they're carrying around?

Do, do you believe in, like, writing them down or vocalizing them? I know, like, people have spoken about loads of different ways to try and, like, or visualization or all of these different tools for, like, achieving your goal or setting your goals.

All, all of the above, because it depends on the person.

So you really wanna...

You know, this is why, this is why the, the mental side of performance is so great, because it's both a science and an art.

We know what works.

We know goal setting works.

And e- and I actually have a love-hate relationship with goals, and I can share that if y- if you'd like a little bit.

Yeah

Wow.

He then told me as he pulled out a $100 bill, Canadian, I'm Canadian, so he pulled out a $100 bill, and he told me that he had lost betting on a different athlete who was competing in a race the week before, a race that I was not in.

So in addition to betting on me, he also told me that he had zero intention of losing again.

And then he pointed me in the direction of the starting gate, smiled, and told me to go have fun.

So in this moment, now I know it, but I obviously didn't when I was 12 years old, but in that moment I was at an emotional and a mental fork in the road.

And this is something you and I and everyone listening, we're in these emotional and mental forks in the road every single day.

We can't change the situation.

Mm

What is actually happening there, and how can athletes prepare for that so that they don't set themselves up to have that big slump after a race, despite being able to achieve what 99.99% of the population can't do anyway?

It's interesting, Taryn.

Sometimes things won't go their way, and so they can't find...

They, they can't find the satisfaction, the pleasure, the gratitude in the... for themselves because it didn't go exactly according to plan, right? It wasn't exactly how I wanted it, and it is a lot of training, and it is a long race, and it's not like you can just wake up the next ga- day and go again.

It's just, it's just not that type of sport.

So I understand the letdown, yes, so there's that piece, but then I'll also tell you that there are times when athletes will achieve their goal and they still feel flat.

So it, it, it happens for a many situations.

Shameless plug.

Yeah.

So in addition to sport, I used to be, and still would be if I wasn't traveling so much, but I used to be an indoor cycle instructor.

And inevitably, actually, I used to be all of it, step aerobics, all of the things, but in my indoor cycle class, inevitably I would always ask one moment in time, "Everyone look around the room, and don't, don't say it out loud, but choose someone in the room that looks the most energized today.

And then for this next song, we are-- I want you to match or beat," 'cause I'm okay with competition, "match or beat their energy.

But don't tell anyone who you chose.

That's just for you and you alone." And what would happen is one of two things.

Some people in the room would not be feeling in a leadership role.

Mm.

Mm.

So the only way to really manage our time is to better manage our energy.

And so I came up with the optimum energy flow because in my area of expertise, which is the head, [laughs] the neck up, every thought that we have has an impact on our emotions.

Now, our emotions sub- subsequent- subsequently then create new thoughts, but every thought that we have will create an emotion, and then that emotion impacts our biology, our physiology, our heart rate, our muscle tension, our skin conductance, and then that influences our behavior and performance.

So our thoughts impact our emotions, which influence our body, which then creates performance.

And if we can get it right, if we can optimize that flow, then we have the optimum energy flow, and it's circular because we all know when we perform well, well, that creates new optimal thoughts.

And I don't like the word positive thinking.

Mm.

Mm

... today I still use that song 'cause the lyrics are, "Take your passion and make it happen.

Dance through life." And whenever I need a boost, that song inspires me.

And so there's this combination of believing in people to grow and be challenged and embrace pressure, combined with this childhood innocence and curiosity-

Yep.

But, um, you know, pr- preparation, but, but it's the right kind of preparationAnd so the first thing that I do with everyone, doesn't matter what life domain, health enthusiast, business, sport, we prepare our three best strengths.

And everything I do comes from professional sports, and professional athletes do not run out onto the field thinking about all their weaker links.

Mm.

And now today, I still use that song 'cause the lyrics are, "Take your passion and make it happen.

Dance through life." And whenever I need a boost, that song inspires me.

And so there's this combination of believing in people to grow and be challenged and embrace pressure, combined with this childhood innocence and curiosity-

Yep.

But um, you know, pr- preparation but, but it's the right kind of preparation.And so the first thing that I do with everyone, doesn't matter what life domain, health enthusiast, business, sport, we prepare our three best strengths.

And everything I do comes from professional sports, and professional athletes do not run out onto the field thinking about all their weaker links.