How can we keep going in circumstances when we feel so down? When things happen unexpectedly, how can we cope and have a better version of ourselves while dealing with our difficulties?
Life is always ready to present us with problems that could shake our faith to succeed. There were times when things doesn’t go the way we expected them to. Things may turn upside down but we can always look for the bright side of every bad situation we encounter. There is always something to be thankful for despite unfavorable moments in life. Pain is not always there to hurt us but sometimes it happens so that we can build a better perspective and learn to appreciate our strengths though we can see our weaknesses.
Esmeralda Figueroa is a 22-year-old soccer player from Laurel Mississippi- United States. She is a Division I college athlete but also plays on the professional level in women's soccer.
In this special episode with Esmeralda Figueroa, we’ll learn about an inspiring life of an athlete as she shares with us her story of courage and confidence despite a possible career-ending injury she experienced.
“You have to believe in yourself, you can't continue to stay on the negative mental side because it's just gonna take you down. ”
– Esmeralda Figueroa
Topics Covered:
(00:00:00) Introduction + Episode Snippet
(00:00:12) Introducing our special guest, Esmeralda Figueroa
(00:00:26) Advertisement: Zero Gravity Skin: a leader in the aesthetic device market. Visit www.zerogravityskin.com and use my code: DRDERRICK30 to receive 30% off your purchase.
(00:01:16) Soccer Player: Who is Esmeralda Figueroa?
(00:10:33) How did Esmeralda's mental toughness set her apart from the other members of her team?
(00:11:21) Power of Confidence: We need to start speaking positively to ourselves
(00:16:02) Never share your goals until they happened.
(00:16:49) Advertisement: Sabre Bats, the training bat that will take you to your next swing. Go to https://www.sabrebats.net to know more.
(00:17:45) A Possible Career-ending injury: The moment when Esmeralda’s dream is about to shatter
(00:24:47) The guy with prosthetic legs: We must change our perspective and acknowledge that we are in a better situation than most individuals.
(00:27:32) The Change of Mental State of Mind: What did it feel like for Esmeralda to be the player that she was before her injury?
(00:29:58) Final TimeOut with Esmeralda Figueroa: What advice would you offer to athletes who are likely going through the same thing?
(00:31:38) Connect with Esmeralda Figueroa
Key Takeaways:
“You can push yourself, but it's the mental part that's tough that people don't really see. ”– Esmeralda Figueroa
“Don't worry about the one that you just shot. Worry about the next one, because if you worry about this one, you're gonna miss the next one and you're gonna miss the next one. So I started focusing on myself and to literally tell myself, I am the best.”– Esmeralda Figueroa
“I never told people my business until it was out in the newspaper. You can say you got this, you can say you got that, but then it goes away. You can't count so many eggs before they hatch. So I never ever told people so only my family knew.”– Esmeralda Figueroa
“You have to keep going and remember there are other people out there that are having it worse than you, although you may think you're having it worse. You're not. You need to change your aspect and realize that you have it better than a lot of people.”– Esmeralda Figueroa
“No matter what you're going through, even if you're not on the field, you could still be a hard worker at something else. And I started just cheering them on because that's what they deserve. I wasn't thinking of myself. I was trying not to be selfish, but I really wanted to be out there.”– Esmeralda Figueroa
“When you get to that point where you're yourself again, don't go into your school too cocky, and don't go too low. Just start competing with yourself, not with other people and you just need to work hard and beat yourself every single day.”– Esmeralda Figueroa
Connect with Esmeralda Figueroa:
Website: https://hailstate.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/esmeralda-figueroa
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/esmeraldadfigueroa; https://www.instagram.com/esmo.fit
Twitter: https://twitter.com/esmeraldafigg
Connect with Dr. Derrick Burgess:
Website: https://www.drderrickthesportsdr.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drderrickthesportsdr/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TimeOut.SportsDr
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHGDu1zT4K_X6PnYELu8weg
Email: thesportsdoctr@gmail.com
