Wisdom of Tom Brady
“Make the best play possible based on the circumstances of the play.”
Tom Brady said this on WEEI the other morning. Instantaneously, this simple, compact metaphor began to inflate within my consciousness. Tom’s recipe for success means SO MANY THINGS!
Don’t waste energy over things you can’t change.
Focus upon the cards that you have been dealt.
Look at what you have, not what you are missing.
Don’t blame others for your outcome.
Don’t obsess. Go with the flow.
And most importantly:
Satisfaction comes from the effort, not the result.
If you do your best, you can be happy.
If you don’t do your best, you can STILL choose to be happy.
If you leave “the play” to “forces beyond your control,”
simply realize that you are doing this and:
“Make the best play possible
based on the circumstances of the play.”
This game is about you,
and how you deal with
what you perceive
you’ve been given.
If pointing fingers is not helping you;
if throwing up your hands is not helping you;
if stressing over your situation is not helping you,
STOP DOING IT.
You get whatever you direct your energy towards.
Including your own misery.
Why waste your energy
if it contributes to a situation
that you don’t like?
Why waste your energy
if it contributes to a situation
that you can’t change?
When you give your energy away in this manner,
it strengthens whatever it is that you oppose or dislike.
Control your energy and you control your emotions.
Control your emotions and you control your happiness.
It’s that simple. But only if you choose it to be simple.
“Make the best play possible
based on the circumstances of the play.”
If you believe that life is more complicated than that, it is because you are directing your energy towards things that aren’t there.
Or things that weren’t there until you gave over your energy to them.
This is why Tom Brady is such a great quarterback.
Tom controls his thinking,
which controls his energy,
which controls his reality.
“Make the best play possible
based on the circumstances of the play.”
Look at where it got Tom Brady. Not surprisingly, the only thing that isn’t inflated is his ego.
Space Monkey Reflects: The Wisdom of Tom Brady
Tom Brady’s advice is simple, yet it holds profound wisdom for anyone navigating the game of life: “Make the best play possible based on the circumstances of the play.” At first glance, it’s a practical bit of sports strategy—an athlete making the most of the moment. But dig deeper, and you’ll see how this principle can transform how we approach challenges, decisions, and even our own self-perception.
This is more than a recipe for success; it’s a way to live with presence and purpose, no matter the circumstances. In essence, Brady’s approach is about recognizing the power we hold over our choices, energy, and attitudes. It’s a reminder to focus on what you have, rather than lamenting what you don’t. When you commit to making the best play in each moment, you move away from dwelling on the past or stressing over an uncertain future. Instead, you bring your attention to the here and now, responding to whatever is directly in front of you.
Don’t waste energy over things you can’t change. This is central to Brady’s philosophy. When we focus on regrets or “what ifs,” we surrender our energy to situations beyond our control. This doesn’t just drain us; it strengthens the very things we oppose or dislike. The more energy we feed into what we cannot change, the more these things seem to grow in our minds, overshadowing our ability to act with clarity and intention. By choosing not to give power to these thoughts, we reclaim our focus, enabling us to make the best decisions possible based on the actual circumstances.
Look at what you have, not what you are missing. Brady’s approach encourages us to work with the cards we’re dealt rather than obsess over the ones we wish we had. By directing our energy toward what is available, we open ourselves to new possibilities, new plays, new perspectives. The momentum of focus shifts from scarcity to abundance, allowing us to see opportunities we might otherwise overlook.
Perhaps the most profound aspect of Brady’s philosophy is the idea that satisfaction comes from the effort, not the result. In life, as in sports, we can’t always control the outcome. But we can control the effort we put into each play, each interaction, each moment. Satisfaction becomes something internal, something based on our personal best, rather than a metric set by external standards. And even if we fall short, we can still find contentment in knowing we gave our all.
You get whatever you direct your energy towards. This is both empowering and cautionary. If we pour our energy into blaming others, obsessing over setbacks, or stressing over things beyond our control, we amplify these feelings within ourselves. But if we direct our energy towards what we can change—our actions, our responses, our attitude—we cultivate resilience and clarity. In a way, Brady’s wisdom is about recognizing that energy is currency; it’s something we invest, and what we invest in grows.
Control your energy, and you control your emotions. Control your emotions, and you control your happiness. Happiness, Brady suggests, isn’t something that happens to us; it’s something we create through the choices we make, moment by moment. By focusing on what we can control and letting go of the rest, we simplify our inner landscape. Life becomes less complicated, but only if we choose to see it that way.
In the end, Brady’s wisdom isn’t about denying life’s challenges. It’s about responding to them wisely. It’s about understanding that we can direct our energy towards growth and positivity, even when circumstances are less than ideal. This doesn’t mean ignoring what’s difficult; it means not allowing the difficult to dictate our lives. Make the best play possible—it’s advice that acknowledges both our power and our limitations, guiding us to take responsibility for our lives in the most practical, grounded way.
Summary
Tom Brady’s advice, “Make the best play possible based on the circumstances of the play,” is a philosophy for life. By focusing on what we can control and directing our energy wisely, we find satisfaction in our efforts rather than the outcome. This approach reminds us that happiness is within our control, shaped by where we place our focus.
Glossarium
- Moment of Focus: The intentional direction of energy towards what is present and possible, rather than dwelling on what is missing.
- Energy Currency: The idea that energy is an investment, amplifying whatever we direct it toward, whether positive or negative.
- Responding Wisely: The ability to face challenges by focusing on controllable actions and attitudes, rather than reacting out of frustration or fear.
Quote
“Satisfaction comes from the effort, not the result. When you focus on making the best play, happiness becomes a choice, not an outcome.” — Space Monkey
The Play Before Me
One play
One moment
A choice before me
Not perfect
Not what I wished for
But here it is
Do I give my energy
To what is not
Or do I move
With what I have
Each step
Is mine to take
In the flow
Of what’s real
Control my play
Control my energy
And happiness
Rises
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