Everyone was saying yes.
I said no.
It wasn’t dramatic. It was just clear. I didn’t want to do it, so I didn’t.
That has nothing to do with bowling.
And it has everything to do with how I bowl.
We talk a lot about what makes athletes powerful on the lanes. Practice. Equipment. Reps. All of that matters.
But some of the most powerful things I bring to the lanes, I learned off them.
I protect my peace.
I’m choosy about who I’m around. I don’t tolerate bad energy. And I’m not afraid to say no to something everyone else is saying yes to.
That’s not a bowling skill. It’s a life skill. But carry it onto the approach and watch what happens. The noise around you gets quieter. You stop absorbing energy that isn’t yours.
Who I am at home is who shows up to compete.
I am decisive. I am strong willed. No one will ever guilt me into doing something I don’t want to do.
So I show up on the lanes decisive. Strong willed. Very secure in who I am and what I stand for.
I didn’t build that in practice. I built it by living it.
And the part of my character that matters most? That was forged outside the sport too.
It’s the part that kept coming back when it felt hard.
The part that found the strength to pick up the pieces and begin again.
Life taught me that first. So when bowling tested it, I already knew the way back.
This is what I teach athletes who think bowling is the only thing that matters.
Everything you’re learning in life can be applied to the lanes. And everything you learn on the lanes can be applied to life.
It goes both ways.
The athlete who protects their peace at home can protect it on the approach.
The athlete who holds their ground with friends can hold it under pressure.
The athlete who begins again after a hard week can begin again after a bad frame.
You don’t become powerful on the lanes by making bowling your whole world.
You become powerful by becoming someone. Then you bring that person to the lanes.
So, who are you becoming off the lanes?
If you’re ready to build the person who shows up on the approach, 12 Frames to a Stronger Mental Game is private 1:1 mental game coaching for bowlers who want to compete from who they are. Learn more at beyondthelanes.com/12-frames.