Our Top 21 Lessons of 2021

It’s been one heck of a year for all of us and I wanted to share what I've learned over the year in hopes it can help you grow in this upcoming year. You already know we grow further together and I’d love to hear your biggest lesson of the year, tag me on social media @corycamp or text me directly at 301-747-0718 your biggest lesson and I can’t wait to learn from you.

My 21 Lessons of 2021:

1. Our environment encourages or evaporates our energy- traveling this year and being able to spend time in not only dope places, but with dope people, I noticed how much my energy can be impacted positively or negatively by what is around me.
2. Less is More- a lot of this year was about cleansing things I’ve accumulated over the years, it felt damn good to let go of things that no longer served me.
3. Letting go starts with taking ownership- In order for us to let go of things that are effecting us, we must first take ownership of our experience. We can be the change we need in our life, but we need to recognize that we create our reality. Taking ownership of situations that turned out differently than I expected or wanted them too has been tough but it’s been a huge help in moving forward.
4. Surrender doesn’t mean to give up- this continually comes up for me as I navigate my expectations and my reality. Working on surrendering my expectations while still holding myself to a high standard.
5. Pouring from an empty cup never works- learning to build my days around things that fill me up first and foremost before I can pour into those around me like I want to.
6. Boundaries only work if we respect them- this goes both for boundaries with myself and those around me. Creating boundaries is a great step on, but they need to be upheld to have true power.
7. Let people know what they mean to you- sending gratitude letters and messages to people who have made an impact in my life has been critical in strengthening not just my relationship with them, but strengthening the lens at which I see gratitude in the world as a whole.
8. Doing the work doesn’t mean you won’t still get triggered- one of the more frustrating lessons over the year is doing the personal growth work only to get triggered by past emotions, experiences, people, or patterns.
9. Grace and space- we can beat ourselves up along our journey to striving for me. Knowing when to give ourselves grace and being aware of how much space we actually have is key to navigating burnout.
10. There’s beauty in the silence- recently picking up running without music 
11. We can drive different vehicles to get to the same place- We are all trying to get to a similar place and the way we get there might be different for each of us. This year I’ve met a ton of really dope, creative people that all have their unique style of doing things. It’s empowered me to continue to carve my own, unique lane that makes me, me.
12. Friction can be our best friend- implementing more friction into my life to make me less likely to follow through on habits/actions I want to break away from in the past.
13. Sober can be the most intoxicating experience- I have social anxiety when in large groups, in year’s past I would turn to alcohol to numb the nerves and fit in, but this year I chose to be sober and I created the most intoxicating, fulfilling experiences and relationships I’ve ever had in my life because of it.
14. Our body keeps a score- we hold onto everything that happens in our life, good and bad. With this scoreboard in mind, I’ve learned to hold onto the good and let go of the negative over time.
15. Our breath can be our best friend if we know when to use it- breath work has been a major part of my daily practice. Not the woo-woo sit in a drum circle and release your dragon breath type way, but in a “hey my heart is racing right now, let me slow it down by just breathing.”
16. Our heart knows the answer, we rarely stop long enough to listen to it- holding off to make decisions in the past that would’ve been impulsive in the past by waiting just two beats longer has shifted me from hurrying to hyper intentional.
17. Relax your shoulders, even when the going gets tough- how often do we find ourselves with tense traps and shoulders? Whenever I find myself stressed, or on a longer run, I cue into where my shoulders are in relation to my ears and consciously make a decision to drop them. This simple change in position can make a major shift in your nervous system and how it perceives what you are doing.
18. Plants outgrow their pots- it’s okay to grow out of containers and environments that you once thrived in.
19. Become a feedback fiend- we need feedback to further our experiences. Without it, we are driving with a busted GPS and living on a prayer we end up where we want to be.
20. What get’s measured gets managed- introducing systems into my life that are actually measurable has allowed me to better manage my life in ways I never thought about.
21. We grow further together- it really is bigger than just me and I’m extremely grateful for the life teammates, mentors, coaches, and community we are building here at Forever Athlete. If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together has never been more true than this past year. I wouldn’t be sitting where I am today without everyone that supports me and vice-versa.

As Forever Athletes we are always learning and growing, but it’s important to remember the best part of not just sports, but life: and that’s to play! Every day life doesn’t have to be so serious all the time, my intention heading into the new year is to continue to play a good game, living a good life in the process.

I appreciate you tuning in today, if you found value in any of these lessons, share them with a friend, family member, partner, or teammate. We grow further together after all and what better way to do that with those who mean something in your life. Thank you for rocking with us here at Forever Athlete Radio this year and in the years to come, here’s to continued growth together!

I’ll see you all in 2022!

Much Love,

Cory