Photo: Cooper Neill/Getty Images
After Sunday, there’s a good chance TikTok will be officially gone in the US. What’s going to happen to BookTok? Maybe the NFL sidelines can be the next hotspot for good reads starting with Philadelphia Eagles receiver AJ Brown. He was seen reading Jim Murphy’s self-help book Inner Excellence during last Sunday’s game — fellow Eagles call it Brown’s “recipe” — and now the book is at the top of Amazon’s best-seller list. Per Murphy’s website, the book tries to answer the question: “How can an Olympic athlete train for four years, for an event that may last less than 60 seconds, and perform with complete peace and confidence?” It makes total sense why a professional athlete would use it as a recipe for success. “This game is 90% mental and 10% physical for me. I bring it to every game and I read it between each drive. I use it to refocus and lock in despite what may transpire in the game good or bad,” Brown explained in a post after the win. “People tend to create controversy when they don’t know the truth.” After advancing to the playoffs, who wouldn’t want to know what inspires Brown before every game?
Brown gave a glimpse into what exactly from the book inspires him at every game, showing highlighted passages that read:
“We’ve all had times when everything came together in perfect harmony: sacred moments, when we were totally immersed in the experience and felt fully alive.”
“Often though, we’re so hard on ourselves, amplifying all our failures and regrets, that we neglect to see what’s still possible— a life of freedom, filled with deep contentment, joy and confidence, independent of circumstances. We’re all human, with the same deep desires and concerns.”
“In the pursuit of extraordinary performance, it’s easy to succumb to anxiety and pressure, because so much is out of your control. When you learn to live a life that is fully engaged, however, then you can perform your best and love the challenge. Every performance, presentation, or problem you face is an opportunity to learn and grow and vividly experience each moment. You will find, as you take this journey with me, that your best moments always come from a clear mind and unburdened heart.”
Brown being a fan of Murphy’s work wasn’t a total shock to the author; he told NBC Philadelphia that he “knew that he was reading the book but wasn’t aware of how much it inspired the Eagle, explaining “I didn’t know he was bringing it to every game and reading it after every drive. So that’s really neat.” Hey AJ, we might have a few suggestions for your reading list.