A mentorship and personal development program directed by: Alexander Knox
Day 3
Guest Speaker Day
Transitioning From The Abstract To Reality
The Warm Up—
After two days of warming the boys up to the Quantum Breakthrough theory, I felt it was an appropriate time to get their benchmarks and expirations they’d set for themselves, given their new headspace. As a warm up exercise, I asked each of the boys: “What do you want to get out of this week of mentorship in personal development?”
Their responses:
Aidan: “I want to get to know myself better. I want to get more familiar with my why, because I know it will uncover purpose and fulfillment for me”
Manny: “I want to find myself, find the little things that give me fulfillment. I want to know my why”
Jason: “I want to find my why. I also want to master the action of swimming to the yes, when a superior or challenge tells me no”
Vincent: “I want to gain a better understanding of myself, where am I now, where do I want to go”
These responses indicated to me that they were in the right headspace, and that the material I’ve been exposing them to thus far in the week is priming their preparation for growth and personal development.
It was a perfect day for me to bring two amazing guest.
On this day, I invited two very close friends of mine to not only take part in the conversation of personal development, but be an integral part in bringing different perspectives to these boys, to then see how they react and what if anything they can gain. This was day 3 of a 5 day mentorship and personal development program, I wanted to really push them on this day, and I absolutely did.
Who are the guests?
Erik Holt— UCLA Alumni and current professional soccer player for Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer. My roommate from high school and college.
Why Erik?
I brought Erik on because Erik is constantly holding himself to a higher standard than everyone else. He is never content with settling for mediocrity, matter of fact he hates it. He push his limits in all facets of his life. I knew he would bring wisdom to the boys, and I knew that the boys would have an easy time receiving his knowledge and perspective, because he like them, is a soccer player, and if he has too can speak in sport terminology in order to get across a lesson that they might not understand. Again as I said in the beginning, up into this point each of these boys made source of wisdom has come through the game of soccer. That is their common denominator and language.
Shawn Johnson— Notre Dame Graduate. Business background. Entrepreneur. My greatest mentor. Above everything, my auntie.
Why Shawn?
I brought Shawn on because of the opposite reason I brought Erik on. I wanted Shawn to be the first person to deliver outside sport perspective and wisdom to the boys. I believe Shawn has an amazing ability to communicate to others based upon her innate feeling of others energy. So I knew that she’d cater to the boys understanding, if they wouldn’t understand something that she’d try to explain herself to the best of her ability.
Erik Holt — Guest Speaker #1
This was a central question the young men couldn’t stop wrestling with throughout the week. The debate on whether or not you can control your fate, and if so, how? And if not, what can you control. Here is both of our guest’s opinion as the boys listen, interact and develop.
“I believe you can control only the things that you can control” – Erik Holt
“I believe you can control your destiny” – Shawn Johnson
Another theme that we kept returning to throughout the week was “Gutter Mentality”. Here are our guests opinions on the subject. Two different perspectives on “Gutter Mentality”. Both unique in their own way.
Shawn Johnson goes a step further, to add her opinion on how Gutter Mentality can be changed.
Both guests are put to the test as they are asked about their biggest failure in life. Their responses are vulnerable and powerful. The young men grew so much to hear their answers.
The following videos detail the young men’s experience of exposure to wisdom outside of sport from someone outside sport. A big difference from the conversations with Erik Holt. These conversations tap deeper into each of the boys value system.
Viewer Discretion is Advised– Contains Explicit Language
Aidan brings an example from his life where he realized his way of communicating didn’t line up with the perspective of who he was talking to.
What happens when there is not effective communication? Listen below.
The young men become more engaged on the topic of communication. Slowly but surely the wisdom from life outside of the game begins to permeate their thoughts. This is contrary to their main source of acquiring wisdom through sport, see below.
