Heart leads, body follows

Welcome to “Athlos” a weekly blog which examines pillars of personal excellence and regularly brings together the worlds of Christian spirituality and sport.

Heart Leads

“When your mind and heart [are] in a good place, the body follows…Kudos to him”-Darvin Ham, L.A. Lakers Head Coach, Yahoo Sports.

Body Follows

Darvin Ham’s words above have a beauty to them, an echo of spirituality worth dissecting. Ham was referring to the performance of substitute Lonnie Walker IV in Game 4 of the NBA Western Conference semifinals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the defending champions, the Golden State Warriors. The Lakers’ victory in that game was largely due to Walker’s heroics as he scored all 15 of his points in the pivotal fourth quarter. It makes perfect sense, right? Game 4. Fourth Quarter. Walker IV.

Ham’s praise, though, was about much more than Walker’s performance. It was his attitude that shone through. When he was not being used, Lonnie kept practising, held on to hope and displayed a commendable level of professionalism, as noticed by his teammate Lebron James. Although he moved from starter to substitute, Lonnie waited his turn and when it came, he blossomed.

Consider what his head coach noticed: heart, mind and body. The internal and the external are inextricably bound. If your heart and mind are in a good condition, what your body does will flow seamlessly from the beauty within. We cannot escape it.

I am reminded of Hebrew wisdom literature as found in the book of Proverbs. In a well-known verse (4:23), one translation goes like this, “Guard your heart diligently, for from it flow the springs of life.” Everything we do flows from the heart. Often “heart” and “mind” are used interchangeably in ancient Scripture. Together they are the engine room that fuels our daily choices.

Are your heart and mind in a good place? Are you due for heart surgery anytime soon? Although our bodies typically get the attention, let us also remember to regularly assess the health of our heart, mind and soul.

Life becomes beautiful

When heart, mind and body are in harmony, life is majestic.

If you were inspired by this blog, please consider sharing it with one other person today. To learn more about these and other related themes that promote the cultivation of an integrated inner self, read UNBEATABLE! which is available on Amazon in print and as an e-book.