Do you hate Tom Brady?

A few years ago my answer to this question was a definite YES. My thoughts were as follows: Freakin Tom Brady and all his fancy super bowl wins. He's not even that good. He can hardly move and he's old as balls. He's only good because his defense is so good, and that old man kicker they had always saves him with game winning kicks.  The way he always wins, it's just gross, screw the Patriots.

I also hated Bill Belichick. That stupid hoody (wear a freaking jacket dude!) the way he grumbles at press conferences, he always wins, ahhh he's so lame. 

While we're on the hating successful athletes train, here's a list of people I also used to hate:
A-Rod, Jeter, Nick Saban, Phil Jackson, Kobe, all of the sport of soccer, and Tom Brady some more. 

As you noticed because you're brilliant, I said "A few years ago," and "USED TO hate." I absolutely LOVE Tom Brady and his GOATness now. I also love all of the other names I listed there. I don't know when the exact shift happened, but somewhere around the past two years when I started getting really into mindset and how that creates your environment, I realized that all of these wildly successful athletes and coaches that I hated are people I should be studying rather than judging. Success leaves clues, and when you shift your mind to being open to learn from everyone rather than hating on people who have what you don't, amazing things can happen.  And DAMN, it's so much more fun to embrace and appreciate the greatness and watch it unfold on my TV as opposed to hating. I mean, look at this guy yesterday.

The day starts off with a report from NFL Network saying that Brady walked into the team facility this week and said, "I am the baddest mother f***er on the planet."  Tom Brady doesn't only say that now that he is the GOAT, Tom Brady has been telling himself that for a long time, which has in turn made him the goat. But not just telling himself that, believing it.  Watch his documentary on Facebook called Tom vs Time. You'll get a whole new respect for the way he prepares both physically and mentally. 

Next, look at this picture. My favorite photo of the day. Brady right after the Chiefs score. He has 2 minutes left. What do you think is going though his mind right there? Probably the same thing, "I am the baddest mother f***er on the planet." And he drives right down the field and they take the lead. Of course he does.

2nd favorite photo and quote of the day is Brady postgame to his WR Chris Hogan. Just brilliant, for all his haters. Mr. TB12 loves his haters and uses that to fuel his growth even more. He may even win a Superbowl in his 50s just because people think he's too old. Or he wins it this year and rides off into the sunsets of Costa Rica.

And did you see his Instagram video last night after the game?!?!?!?! Just him and Gronk, he speaks no words, with P. Diddy's "Bad Boys for Life" song in the background.  Just when I thought he couldn't get any awesomeer......... he goes and does something like that.  Good luck Rams.

Reflecting on all of my old hating made me think of this quote I saw on Lewis Howes' Instagram the other day:

That was definitely me. Criticizing Tom Brady and Kobe Bryant while losing a racquetball game to an old guy at the local YMCA. Classic.


So you can still hate Brady or any of those other top dogs, I'm just sharing my experience of how much more fun it has been to appreciate rather than hate their greatness, and learn as much as I can from these people who dominate their respective fields.  I'm excited to watch Brady and Belichick go to work in Super Bowl 53. Who knows, it could just be the last time these GOAT's take the field together. 


Be Awesome

-Tom Spaniol

"Thinking is the true business of life, power is the result."
-Charles F. Haanel