642: Jim Murphy - Inner Excellence, AJ Brown, Presence, Managing Fear, Daily Goals, & Understanding Our Greatest Needs

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Jun 29, 2025

Jim Murphy, a mental performance coach and author of Inner Excellence, shares insights from his journey as a former professional baseball player. He discusses the breakthrough moment when AJ Brown was spotted reading his book during a crucial game, which significantly boosted its sales. Topics include managing fear, the importance of being present, and the five greatest human needs: value, love, integrity, purpose, and growth. Murphy emphasizes redefining success through relationships and personal fulfillment rather than material gains, advocating for daily goal-setting and self-improvement.

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ANECDOTE

AJ Brown Boosts Book Sales

AJ Brown reading "Inner Excellence" on national TV caused a surge in book sales from 25 copies in 11 days to 200,000 copies in 20 days.
Jim Murphy had no prior relationship with AJ before this viral moment.

ADVICE

Four Daily Goals to Manage Fear

Manage fear by focusing on the present and accepting your feelings without dwelling on past or future.
Use daily goals: give your best today, be present, practice gratitude, and control what you can.

ADVICE

Face Fears to Grow

When uncomfortable, ask if you are willing to face your fears and sit with unpleasant feelings.
Being comfortable with discomfort and failure enables growth and achievement.

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Jim Murphy is a mental performance coach for some of the most accomplished professional athletes in the world. Formerly a professional baseball player, he now focuses on helping others. You may have heard of him if you were watching the Philadelphia Eagles' playoff run last season, and star wide receiver AJ Brown was reading Jim’s book Inner Excellence on the sideline between offensive series.

Notes:

The first 11 days of 2025, Inner Excellence (originally published 16 years ago) sold about 25 copies… What happened on January 12? AJ Brown was shown on TV reading it in between offensive series. It then sold 200,000 copies in 20 days.
Fear is a concern about the future.
Give the best of what you have today. Be present.
Heart, will, spirit = the deepest part of you
When we’re at our best, there’s no thought of self.
5 greatest needs
- That we have value
- Love and acceptance
- Integrity
- Purpose beyond self
- Growth
Dick Vermiel’s coaching style - Coach the person first. Then the sport (or the thing you’re doing). The same is true for any leadership role. People won’t care what you think unless they know you actually care about them.
4 Daily Goals
- Give the best of what you have today
- Be present. Fear is a future thing.
- Be grateful
- Focus on what you can control
Anxiety is a mind with too many thoughts and concerns. Need to face our fears.
3 Key Areas:
- Belief - expand what you think is possible.
- Freedom - play like a kid (let it rip).
- Focus - Be fully present
Status vs amazing experiences. Love is the most powerful force in the universe. Joy comes from love. Love can come from weaknesses.
Ego - Always comparing, creates a fear of screwing up
Rory McIlroy – Didn’t care if he made the cut at the US Open. Played free and made a few birdies at the end of the second round and made the cut.
Jim's Dedication: “My father, Donald C. Murphy. The one who greatly influenced me to think deeply about what to love and what to let go of. I love you. See you soon.” His dad worked on the Apollo 11 mission. The first lunar landing.
Grade yourself on presence. 4 daily goals. Rate them 1-10. Anxiety is a sign that someone isn’t present.
Jim has always struggled with being self-centered.
Be non-judgmental. Share unconditional love.
Ricky Scruggs - Former teammate and roommate in pro baseball. He invited me to the desert in 2003. Led me to take the risk to leave the safety of family and friends to pursue a meaningful life.
What about for those people who say your stuff is "woo-woo?" “I get paid to help people perform better. And that’s what happens when you work with me.”
“My whole life, I obsessed about being a superstar, being rich and famous. What I now realize is what I’ve always wanted was to feel fully alive. I’ve realized since that what I always really wanted was to feel fully alive. That’s what Inner Excellence is about. Pursuing a full life and letting everything else be added. We’re created for relationships."
Among Jim's strengths is that he listens and doesn’t judge. That’s what many people want. “I have this one client, a pro athlete. He said, ‘Jim, I smoke, I gamble, I drink. I do all these things, but I don’t think you do all those things. Do you think we can work together?’ I said, ‘If you don’t judge me for not doing those things, I won’t judge you for doing those things.’ We became great friends.”
Resonance Key #3 - Love Your Opponent. “The opponent is not the enemy– they’re our partner in the dance.” – Phil Jackson