The Ball’s In Your Court
What It’s Like To Live in a State of Flow
Have you ever been “in the flow”? So focused on what you’re doing that time flies by and nothing can distract you from what you’re doing? Athletes often talk about being in the zone, but it can happen to anyone, anywhere. The concept of flow state was developed by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, who coined the term…
Read MoreIs Gratitude the Secret to a Long Life?
My mother, Beatrice Lewis, is 103 years old. She possesses a wide, generous smile, and easily shares her joy. She is comfortable in her own skin and people of all ages are drawn to her. On a regular basis, my mother states “I’m grateful that I can be grateful.” She understands that gratitude is necessary…
Read MoreThe Importance of Great Mentors
Throughout my life, I’ve been fortunate to have multiple mentors — enlightened teachers who taught me powerful lessons and changed my outlook. The first one was my speech and debate teacher in high school, Mollie Martin. As an educator, Mollie set high standards and was exceedingly demanding. Since we would travel by bus to distant…
Read MoreOn the Importance of Friendship
A friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature. – Ralph Waldo Emerson The Psychology of Friendship In 1938, Harvard University began what would become a groundbreaking study on what makes a healthy and happy life. Researchers tracked 268 Harvard sophomores throughout the years and eventually expanded the study to include their children, wives,…
Read MorePerforming Acts of Kindness without Expecting a Reward
Kindness In Action It started with a Croatian basketball player named Igor Perica. The 6-foot, 7-inch power forward had torn his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his knee and came to me for the reconstruction surgery. At the time, I was an orthopedic consultant for the Chicago Bulls, he was a stranger in a strange…
Read MoreThe Right Decision isn’t Always Easy
As you can imagine, it’s not easy having to make treatment decisions for athletes. Especially when it could affect the team’s entire season and especially when it’s NBA superstar Michael Jordan. May 25, 1998. The Eastern Conference Finals in Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana. In this series Michael “Air” Jordan and the Chicago Bulls were up…
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