"Do Something Special" - What We Can All Learn From Patrick Mahomes

The game between the Chiefs and the Texans was CRAZY last weekend! If you weren’t watching, the Chiefs were down, at home 24-0 in the first 20 minutes of the game--in the loudest stadium in the NFL. Fans were screaming at their televisions and walking out of the stadium, in pure disbelief. How could our Chiefs show up to their biggest game of the year and play like a bunch of rookies?

There's even an article about "Bad Luck Chuck," who left the game because he determined he was a jinx. After he left the stadium, things turned around--and now Mahomes and the Chiefs are asking him to "do what's best for the Kingdom" and watch this Sunday's championship game from home. Chuck doesn't seem too worried about his big sacrifice, according to the Kansas City Star, he's received calls from a producer from the Ellen Show, and fans have reimbursed him for his ticket.

I recorded a podcast about this because I'm fascinated by the speech that Patrick Mahomes gave his team that provided a fresh start, resulting in a 51-31 victory for the Chiefs. I wish that every parent would talk to their kid - athlete or not - and help them understand the significance of what Mahomes did to turn that game around. We all have the power to use these same skills in our own lives.

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Listen to the full episode, but here are some high-level bullet points:

What I love about this is the heart of the talk was just four words, “Let’s do something special.”  He didn’t panic. He kept his cool. He assessed the situation. And he helped his team move past the horrendous start of that game and take control of the situation.

First. You don’t have to wait until tomorrow to make a change. Every single moment is a chance to start fresh. If the Chiefs had decided to wait until the half to make some changes, if they had decided to wait until tomorrow to make a change, they would have lost the game and they wouldn’t be playing the Titans this weekend for a chance to go to the Super Bowl. 

Second. Mahomes kept his cool. He didn’t start throwing helmets and kicking things. He didn’t yell obscenities and throw a tantrum. He knew that it was his responsibility to be a leader. Once you lose control and allow yourself to feel helpless, it’s a lot harder to make the comeback. 

Third.  One play at a time. When you need to accomplish something big, where there’s a lot on the line, it can be overwhelming to look at the big picture.

And finally… Do something special. I don’t know what Mahomes meant when he said this. But I really like the sound of do something special as a mantra that an athlete could repeat when they are really needing to push hard, or when they surge past a competitor in a race. 

Do something special. Make this happen. Show them what you’re made of. Do this for yourself and remember this moment for the rest of your life.

Listen to the episode, and share your thoughts! Does Patrick's speech make you feel like you can accomplish anything you set your mind to?

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