People think it’s hard to turn 40, but Tom Brady makes it look easy.
He’s fast, lean, and appears to be in the best shape of his life. Doesn’t hurt that the man was born with specific gifts that have enabled him to perform at top levels throughout his NFL career. Make no mistake about it; Tom Brady makes his age bracket look good.
The real problem is turning 41 — when 40 no longer scares you — and those damn Christmas cookies look so tasty. Also, you still think you can drink and run 10 miles without doing those tedious dynamic warmups to prevent injuries. And, if you’re injured, you can ignore it.
Trust me. I know this life firsthand.
To Tom Brady’s benefit, he’s historically exemplified three components of being a naturally talented human being. First, he has inherent abilities. There’s commitment to individual excellence. And he possesses a personality that encourages others around him to do their best.
Talent isn’t fancy. Gifted people are born with skill, they sacrifice short-term pleasure for long-term results, and they motivate others around them to also try.
But, when talented people get scared, they behave in groundless ways to shore up their natural skills. They surround themselves with sycophants and gurus who tell them what they want to hear. They also veer from their regular forms of motivation and try to motivate you with marketing instead of character and proven results.
Right now, Tom Brady is fighting with his boss, Bill Belichick, about a dodgy personal trainer and business partner who gives out sham medical advice. Alex Guerrero is banned from the Patriots’ plane and the sideline. Also, he’s not allowed to train any additional new NFL players at Gilette Stadium.
Brady doesn’t need Alex Guerrero, but, when you’re scared of getting older and afraid of a diminishing legacy, you do all kinds of crazy things to make yourself feel younger and relevant. Diets. Detoxes. Supplements. Fear keeps you focused on yourself and your earthly body instead of remembering that your words and actions, not your body, are an inspirational role model for others.
So, I weirdly feel for Tom Brady. Sure, he exemplifies NFL privilege. He’s protected by an offensive line that never lets an opposing team put him on his ass. Referees understand that his franchise has value and saddles the other team’s defensive players with a ton of penalties. Plus his team cheats.
But getting older sucks if you let it, and, right now, that dude is running scared.
Wish Tom Brady would stop fixating on his body — and pivot from crazy diets and ridiculous personal trainers — and begin to weigh his words, actions, and character. He could continue to fight back against the unknown oblivion of mortality with money, or he could show men all over America how to age with balance, keep your body in mind in peak condition, and be a force for good in this world.
Talented people know that turning 41, and even 43, will kill you on the inside unless you’re focused on something other than your body. Hope Tom Brady gets the memo soon. Otherwise, this decade will be tough for him.