It is Word to the 3rd Wins-Day: my mid-week reflections on purpose, life, and growth. I’m Toby Brooks, and I am a speaker, author, professor, and forever student. Each week on Becoming UnDone, I bring you guests who have dared bravely, risked mightily, and grown relentlessly—high achievers who have transformed from falling apart to falling into place. But every third episode, it’s my turn to reflect, refine, and reprocess—on Word to the 3rd Wins-Day. As you may be able to tell, my voice is not cooperating and I’m a bit under the weather. If the past few years have taught us anything, maybe distance yourself a bit from your airpods or speakers just in case I’m contagious. I don’t think what I HAVE is spreading, but it seems like word of the show IS, which makes me giddy. It has been yet another great week for me, and although this marks only the fifth Word to the 3rd, I thought it was time for a bit of fine-tuning and tweaking of the brand. I like the idea of a recurring mid-week show where we get to go back and examine what our most recent guests have taught us. At the same time, it’s also a chance for me to tell some stories from MY past or from stuff I’m learning that I think might be helpful for your growth journey. That said, Wed-nes-day seemed like as good a day as any, but I figured let’s spell it like we say it—and also celebrate the victories together on a Wins-day.This week, I had a great time interviewing both new connection author Steve Safranek and my long-time friend Branda Anderson. Both played Division I sports and both shared a new twist on what had started to emerge as a trend of lost identity following the end of competitive athletics. Namely, the identity shift that occurs when sports are eventually over. For Steve, as a walk-on on the Nebraska football team, he quickly realized that he was out over his skis a bit when he arrived on campus as a linebacker who was getting out run, out lifted, and generally overmatched by defensive backs and wideouts. It was a rude awakening, but he took it in stride and enjoyed the moment. For Steve, he said the realization that he was never going have any shot of playing at the next level, which really took hold in his mind two or three years into the program, was actually liberating. It allowed him to let go of sport gradually and without the pain we’ve heard from other guests whose careers ended more abruptly. Likewise, Branda Anderson had a painful and honest conversation with her coach following her junior year where she was informed she wasn’t going to see much of the floor as a senior. While it hurt to hear in the moment, it gave Branda a chance to really drink in the team experience and understand that her role was to help prepare her teammates for battle rather than to equip herself week in and week out. As a result, she spent less time bitter and angry that basketbaReach out to Becoming UnDone! Text Toby here!Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!Start for FREEDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showBecoming Undone is a NiTROHype Creative production. Written and produced by me, Toby Brooks. If you or someone you know has a story of resilience and victory to share for Becoming Undone, contact me at undonepodcast.com. Follow the show on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn at becomingundonepod and follow me at TobyJBrooks. Listen, subscribe, and leave us a review Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.