School is Back
School is back in session and for many students and faculty, a new year brings new challenges. It was so good to be with a couple different schools right here in Oklahoma during their first day back for their 2026-2027 school year.
I was visiting these schools representing a foundation I work closely with. I Believe In Me Foundation, where it is our goal to bridge the gap in life education.
In a world where “self-help” ($34 billion) and mental health ( $83 billion) are billion-dollar businesses, we ask: Why do so many adults struggle with life?
It’s simple yet profound : No one taught them the craft of living well.
Think about this : Teaching kids sports skills at an early age is common.
Yet we ignore teaching our kids “proven practices” to think, solve problems, and build good relationships. These are the very skills that lead to happiness and a better world.
At the I Believe in Me Foundation, we are changing that.
I fell in love with sports when I was young like most kids, and I have had the incredible opportunity to sustain a long, successful and ongoing career as a Paralympic athlete who represents Team USA. I am eternally grateful for the things I have learned through the discipline of sport.
And,
sometimes those things come at a cost to my overall well-being. Learning how to build and integrate healthy physical, emotional, mental and social skills has never been more important in our world of social media and artificial intelligence.
A few years back, I became increasingly aware of how the skills that made me an exceptional athlete hindered my growth and health as a person in many other areas of my life. The tools I had to grind out another workout to become the best in the world, wasn’t efficient in helping me to stay with the pain of failure when I made a mistake. It only pressured me to grind harder or escape in unhealthy ways so that I could avoid it and that came at the expense of my overall health.
I am thankful for the time I got to spend with these students and faculty members to share some of my story and allow them to see how important developing different skills can be. We talked about the power of developing the awareness to catch our limiting thoughts and learning how to replace them with an empowering thought and how to look at failure as data not a verdict.
Praying for a safe and successful school year for all students and faculty everywhere this year.
To learn more about the I Believe In Me Foundation visit the website below.
https://ibelieveinmefoundation.com
All the best on your quest,
Jeremy
