Apolo Ohno - Why You Must Deal with Your Mental Health Before You Achieve Greatness

Nov 23, 2020

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Why You Must Deal with Your Mental Health Before You "Make it."

There are so many people that believe they will be eternally satisfied once they have "made it."

How many times have you said or heard someone say when I get into a new relationship, I will experience happiness or whenever I hit my salary goal or have financial success I will get out of this rut.

We hear that stuff time and time again and we all know that it can make us happy short term, but then our old habits and patterns come back. If you aren’t happy with the person you see in the mirror, none of that other stuff matters.

So I encourage you to really pay attention to what my guest today has to say and our discussion in why you have to take care of your mental and emotional health and not focus so much on things externally.

Today, I had the opportunity to chat with Apolo Ohno — America's most decorated Winter Olympic Athlete of all time, best selling author and highly sought after keynote speaker (he also won Dancing With the Stars).

In this episode, you will gain a lot of life changing lessons based on his personal experience. We get into many topics such as the importance of managing your mental health, how to navigate transitions, dealing with pain and failure, his best practices and so much more.

Show Notes:

When we hear the word “athlete”, the first thing that comes to our minds is that we expect them to be strong and capable of staying focused and be well-driven, especially those who are at the peak of their career. Little did we know, they’re also struggling with mental health problems.

Apolo will be talking about the Olympians’ struggles and the HBO documentary The Weight of Gold that premiered this past summer that showcases how the pressure of being an olympian can massively impact your mental health. It also encourages people to ask for help and not be afraid to open up if they are struggling mentally.

As a dedicated mental health advocate, he will make us understand that this anyone can have battles with their mental health. It doesn’t matter who you are or how much you have achieved. He will also be sharing some points that can enlighten everyone about where the struggles of an athlete usually come from

Just like all of us, one of the biggest parts of the adversity of being an Olympian athlete is that they are unsure of what’s going to happen once everything they currently have is all gone — may it be material things, money, or fame.

Apolo will give his insights about how important it is to immediately identify your strengths and weaknesses, understand the process, and be willing to embrace change so that you’ll know what to do once you have decided to move on to the next chapter of your life.

Apolo also encourages the listeners to constantly ask this question:

"What do you want from life and what does life want from you?"

We all need to know our purpose and meaning. We just have to take time to reflect, and look within.

Quote:

“What's being thrown at you is out of your control. How you respond, react, and maneuver through this life experience is powerful, and it is within your control.”

-Apolo Ohno

Connect with Apolo:

Website: https://apoloohno.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apoloohno/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ApoloOhno

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ApoloOhnoOfficial

Connect with Doug

Instagram: @dougbopst

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Website: www.dougbopst.com/gift