Different athletic disciplines illustrate various principles of openness and creating space: in basketball, we “open ourselves to the ball.” In yoga, the final pose of savasana encourages yogis to “open themselves to the abundance of the universe.” Conversely, running encourages a “controlled fall” instead of “running tall.” This will give the runner a “perpetual forward propulsion into space.” Lastly, Olympic weightlifting illustrates the “weightless bar” concept, where the barbell “floats” in mid-air after a “triple extension” so the athlete can efficiently receive it in a clean or a snatch. Sports require efficiencies rather than brute strength. Sure, strength, in its traditional definition, can be foundational and become a competitive advantage in the short term. Still, in the long term, those who thrive and win have mastered navigating through discomfort or distress and not by ignoring them through sheer strength. Steve Magness, a coach to some of the best runners in the world, challenged the traditional definition of toughness in his book Do Hard Things: Why We Get Resilience Wrong and the Surprising Science of Real Toughness.
According to Magness, real toughness is experiencing discomfort or distress, leaning in, paying attention, and creating space to take thoughtful action. This concept of creating space is crucial, allowing us to maintain a clear head and make the appropriate decision. Toughness is not about ignoring discomfort but about navigating it to make the best decision you can. He challenges the old toughness model tied to the ideals of masculinity, machismo, and egocentrism. Moreover, he also referenced studies that conclude that the promotion of mental toughness does not lie in autocratic, authoritarian, and oppressive styles. Instead, it lies in the coach’s ability to produce an environment emphasizing trust, inclusion, humility, and service. This kind of coaching and leadership style, which prioritizes mental toughness and emotional intelligence, empowers individuals to take thoughtful action and make the best decisions, leading to success in sports and other domains such as business, civil service, and the military.
Magness referred to multiple literature; it’s pleasant to know that I have encountered some of them before. Some of these are Deci and Ryan’s Self-Determination Theory (which is similar to Pink’s Theory of Motivation) and, of course, the classic Frankl’s Man’s Search For Meaning. What surprised me was when Magness wrote that Maslow, the proponent of the motivational theory of the hierarchy of needs, realized that the top of the pyramid, self-actualization, was too focused on the individual, satisfying our own needs in a somewhat selfish manner. I am also surprised that Maslow wrote this realization back in 1970 without going mainstream. In Maslow’s final rendering, “self-transcendence” takes over as the new apex, and this concept rises above individual concerns, opening up a new perspective on personal development and leadership.
These three actions manifest Self-transcendence:
- Doing meaningful pursuits (it could be athletic, artistic, academic, among others)
- Expanding perspectives of the world
- Experiencing suffering (which might be similar to Magness’s proposition of doing hard things).
Note that Magness has challenged the traditional concept of strength and, conversely, the conventional idea of suffering. However, the innate characteristic of “suffering” stays anything that strips us of our vanities and allows us an opportunity to respond, to open ourselves to that ball as part of the offense and make sure it reaches the designated shooter of the team, to lean forward and continue to run until we reach the finish line, and to catch that barbell just in time for your new clean and jerk personal record, whether you make it on the podium or not.
Migo Aguado 