Words of the World

This was an absolute rollercoaster of a week for me.

On Tuesday, I got the news that I’ll be sidelined for a couple weeks due to an overuse knee injury (I will wait to get into the details of this until the team releases the information).

On Thursday, all the work put into the Atypical “Principles” Collection merch drop came to fruition with this drop more than tripling in size compared to the first drop… IN THE FIRST 3 HOURS!.!.!.!

If you have not gotten your piece yet, you probably should because sizes are selling out way faster than expected….

Get yours here —> LIVE ATYPICAL WEBSITE 

Anyways, the logical progression of this week’s newsletter would be to talk about how to manage injury and how to navigate a huge increase in responsibility,

but I am not feeling logical… I am feeling emotional, errrr more so philosophical haha

So instead, I am going to share with you two simple ‘words’ from two very different cultures that I think if understood could change your life.

Let’s get into it.

Why I Do This:

I got a message from a young hooper in the UK who said that he started pregame journaling because he saw me do it in my YouTube videos.

He sent me this from his last game.

This almost made me cry.

He is trying to get better with the purest intention possible.

Learning how to self-evaluate and self-reflect is a life changing skill.

This is the beginning of a beautiful journey for my man and it brings incredible joy to me.

Thoughts From This Week

“Mushin” (無心)

This week I learned this idea called “mushin” or translated to “no-mind”.

“Mushin” is the absence of observation and thinking. It is not the action of ‘not-thinking’, but rather the complete absence of internal dialogue.

This mental state is essential in Eastern Asian culture and religion.

Conceptually it’s a bit confusing, but if you experience it you will know it.

As an athlete, “mushin” is being in the zone that experience when you are not thinking about anything you are doing.

You are out there on the court or field reading and reacting purely off instinct.

It is what we all chase as athletes, artists, and creators.

It is losing yourself in the act-

The experience when all your over-thinking subsides, and it’s just you and the sport you love.

Those moments of “mushin” while playing basketball are how I fell in love with the game. It is the state of being that I strive to be in not only while I am playing, but in my day to day life.

Okay “mushin” sounds great, but how do I have more moments playing my sport in this state of “mushin”?

My best advice is to not actively try to have more moments of “mushin”, but instead practice observing your thoughts.

What do I mean by this?

As you go throughout your day or practice, are you consumed by all the different thoughts in your brain?

What if you just stopped and listened to them for a second?

I am talking about something as simple as a 5-10 second pause.

A pause of nothingness.

A pause of pure observation.

What do you hear?

What is your inner voice rambling on about?

That simple pause and listen allows you to seperate yourself from the rambling idiot in your head. This is what observing your thoughts feels like.

Maybe you do this throughout your day or maybe you do this for 5 minutes straight in a meditation practice, either way, the more often you practice this, the easier it becomes to also recognize when the thinking slows down.

Sometimes it comes to a complete halt.

That is “mushin”.

You just accidentally practiced arriving to state of “mushin”.

This practice is the core process in cultivating more “mushin” experiences in your life and your sport.

Try this tomorrow and let me know if you had a “mushin” experience.

This can change your life.

“Hygge”

Another word I learned this week is a Danish idea called “hygge”.

“Hygge” in its simplest definition means coziness, togetherness, and being present.

This idea has gained some global popularity due to its application across cultures.

The application has varied, but some “hygge” principles are leaving work at work, spending undistracted time with loved ones, slowing down, building strong communities, and resting comfortably.

“Hygge” is more than a word, but a way of life for Danish people.

This term is their recipe for true happiness and meaning.

When learning about this concept, I considered how I could add more hygge to my basketball journey to make it “happier”.

My takeaway was this:

Hygge is found through balance.

Balance between work and family.

Balance between ambition and comfort.

Balance between effort and recovery.

I can very easily be caught up in the chase of success, the process of development and the emotions of competition.

Moments of this is okay, a lifetime of it becomes exhausting and unfulfilling.

True happiness is found in the moments with the people you care about where you can rest easy and enjoy fully knowing you did your best during your work time.

Push your limits and chase your dreams so that you can be the best version of yourself for the people you love most.

That is hygge to me.

The Final Atypical Principle #10

Another week of documenting my journey as a pro basketball player.

This week we were on the road in the same gym where we lost our last Liga Betclic Game almost a full calendar year ago.

27 wins in a row, and going for 28.

In this video, I show the importance of consistency in mindset no matter the circumstance.

It can be easy to become complacent when success becomes routine.

The Atypical action would be to stay paranoid and to approach every game with humility and professionalism.

Whether its 10 wins or 10 losses in a row, our systems and mindset should be the same:

Compete against your best self.

Excellence in the pursuit of excellence.

If you have been paying attention to all these Atypical principles and have discovered the Easter egg, then my final instruction would be to try the answer in the “discount” section of the Live Atypical website upon check out…

Might make the merch a bit more affordable 👀

I’ll Leave You With This:

I went a in little bit different direction on this one because I was inspired by these two words from two very different cultures during a time that I could have easily been wrapped up with what was going on in my own life.

One thing playing in so many different countries and cultures has taught me is that the world is there to teach us.

What may seem normal and straightforward to you might seem backwards and strange to someone else.

There are too many different perspectives to get caught up in your own.

Think outside your box, your culture, and maybe even your language.

Learn, grow, expand, and

Live Atypical.

Love you guys.

Trey