K.J. Osborn on Mental Strength, Health, and Purpose.
On this episode of the WeShare Podcast, we invited professional athlete, wide receiver, and WeShare community ambassador KJ Osborn to dig into what drives KJ’s success, his approach to mental wellness, and the importance of preventative care as an aspect of his health journey. As you listen into our conversation, you’ll see the depth of wisdom and intentionality KJ brings to the football field, his well being, and his personal life. KJ approaches the challenges he faces with a mindset of gratitude and opportunity, and we learned so much from his perspective that you’ll find inspirational, too!
BM: I can only imagine moments as a professional athlete—talking about first big touchdowns and things taking off from there—there can be another side with that visibility of increased pressure and expectation. And so how do you prioritize your mental health and stay balanced for yourself?
KJO: I think it has to be learned first. When I do make the big plays and when I don’t, the pressure and the scrutiny that just comes with it. You learn to block out the noise. You learn not to be looking through the comments section and worried about what everybody has to say about you. What you feed into your spirit, and what you’re allowing your eyes to see—I would like to say I let my spirit have the power over my flesh. If the flesh wants fame and you want the people to know you’re famous, then I play to motivate, to inspire, to get the best out of my gift that I can because I love the game. And so I think trying to keep that mentality at the front of my head.
BM: Are there some core values that overall guide your career and life that you live by?
KJO: Yes, actually I did an assignment on this when I was in high school. It’s in my phone so I’ll show you, because I’ve never deleted it. I wrote this on October 26, 2018 but I saved it because I thought hard about it. And it is faith, family, discipline, good character, ambition, and wisdom. Those are things that I try to live by. In the Bible, one of my favorite Scriptures is “Seek first the kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.” I try to live by that, and when you put your faith at the top, everything else takes care of itself because you’re living by that ruler.
The WeShare Podcast shares stories of purpose, impact, and inspiration, and our conversation with KJ was just that. Tune in to hear the full interview and add a little encouragement to your day today!
