Adam: So I just watched the movie Without Limits on Sunday. It’s the Steve Prefontaine story. My family doesn’t really like watching those “life-affirming” movies, so I watched it by myself. One of the things he said really stuck with me, and I think you wrote about it on LinkedIn—or maybe someone else did? Anyway, it was about an American marathoner who said something about enduring pain.
Dr. Bobby Low: Connor Mantz. He just broke the American half-marathon record.
Adam: That’s it! It was you who wrote about that.
Dr. Bobby Low: Yeah, I made a comment about it on LinkedIn.
Adam: He said something like, “I can just endure pain longer.” That’s almost verbatim what they attributed to Steve Prefontaine in the movie. He believed he could outlast his competitors in pain endurance.
Adam: And I’ve started to notice that this mindset doesn’t just apply to sports. If you start a business, go through a tough relationship, or face any challenge in life, your ability to withstand pain—mental or physical—can make all the difference. It’s a learnable trait.
Dr. Bobby Low: Absolutely. Here at BYU and with some professional teams, we focus on developing mental skills and strengths. Enduring pain is at the core of grit. Grit has two main components: passion for what you do and the ability to persevere. That combination is the foundation of enduring pain and pushing through challenges.
Dr. Bobby Low: With athletes, we teach them to develop proactive thinking patterns. For example, Connor Mance often tells himself during a race, “I love this. I can endure this longer than anyone else.” This keeps him in a proactive mindset. The opposite is a reactive mindset, where someone might think, “My legs are dead. I can’t do this anymore.” Those thoughts can sabotage performance.
Adam: That makes so much sense. And the great thing is that this kind of mental training isn’t limited to athletes—it can apply to anyone, in any field.
Dr. Bobby Low: Absolutely. Most people never fully maximize their potential because of fear, doubt, or negative self-talk. From a neuroscience standpoint, those thoughts trigger anxiety and physical tension, which inhibit performance. Part of my work is helping people reprogram their brains to think in ways that unlock their full potential.
Dr. Bobby Low: I love sharing this study: they took two groups of distance runners. One group ran a baseline test, then ran again with no additional training. The other group was taught how to talk to themselves effectively—using confident, focused language—and then ran a second test. That second group outperformed the control group by 22%. A simple mindset shift made a measurable, dramatic difference.
Adam: That’s incredible. It really reminds me of growing up as the oldest of eight kids. I used to tease my younger siblings by making them smack themselves and saying, “Why are you hitting yourself?” And, honestly, that’s what we do to ourselves mentally—we beat ourselves up without even realizing it.
Dr. Bobby Low: That’s such a good analogy! Most people aren’t even aware of their negative self-talk. Reprogramming your brain to use positive, intentional language can make a huge difference.
Adam: And it’s not just about thinking differently—it’s about rewiring your brain. That’s powerful.
Dr. Bobby Low: Exactly. The brain doesn’t distinguish between helpful and harmful thoughts; it just processes what you tell it. If you’re thinking negatively, your brain stores those patterns and acts accordingly. But if you reprogram your brain with positive, proactive thinking, it becomes your default. It takes time and effort, but it works.
Adam: That’s why I think teaching these skills in sports is so valuable—it sets the foundation for success in everything else.
Dr. Bobby Low: 100%. It’s why I’m passionate about bringing these lessons to younger athletes through my company, Motyv8. We want to make mental strength training accessible to high school teams, where most kids won’t go on to play in college or professionally. But the skills they learn can help them navigate life’s challenges, whether that’s losing a job, starting a family, or building a career.
Adam: That’s amazing. It sounds like something my family could really benefit from.
Dr. Bobby Low: Absolutely. And with the mental health challenges we’re seeing today, building mental strength is more important than ever. Social media, especially since 2010, has rewired our brains in ways that contribute to anxiety and comparison. To combat that, we need to teach young people how to think proactively and build resilience.
Adam: I completely agree. It all starts with how you think. My podcast is called Vision with Execution because, as Thomas Edison said, “Vision without execution is hallucination.” But vision with execution becomes reality.
Dr. Bobby Low: I love that. And you’re right—execution is what turns dreams into reality.
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