“When you go get interviewed, if they tell you you’re the greatest thing since sliced bread, you say, ‘Thank you,’ and you just smile. And if they tell you you’re the biggest choke artist of all time, you just thank them and smile.”

— George Mumford

George Mumford (@gtmumford) is a globally recognized speaker, teacher, and coach. Since 1989, he’s been honing his gentle but groundbreaking mindfulness techniques with people from locker rooms to board rooms, Yale to jail.

While at the University of Massachusetts, where he roomed with future Hall of Famer Julius Erving, injuries forced George out of basketball and eventually into an addiction to pain medication and drugs. With the help of meditation and mindfulness, he got clean and made it his mission to teach and work with others.

Michael Jordan credits George with transforming his on-court leadership, helping the Bulls to six NBA championships. George has also worked with Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, and countless other NBA players, as well as Olympians, executives, and artists.

George believes everyone has a masterpiece within. His book The Mindful Athlete: Secrets to Pure Performance  — both memoir and instruction guide — can show you how to access it.

George also has The Mindful Athlete Course, which can be found at GeorgeMumford.com.

Please enjoy!

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What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

SCROLL BELOW FOR LINKS AND SHOW NOTES…

Want to hear my first interview with Jack Kornfield who introduced me to George? Listen to this episode in which we discuss hang gliding, monk training in Thailand, unpleasant mystical experiences, the difference between compassion and empathy, lovingkindness meditation, and more.

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE

• Connect with George Mumford:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

SHOW NOTES

• George describes how his mind and body reacted on a spiritual level the first time he witnessed Michael Jordan practicing for the very first time. [06:46]
• What most impressed George about the intensity Michael Jordan brought to the court even during an everyday practice session? [09:23]
• George shares what it was like to have “a security clearance on [his] badge and track marks on [his] forearm” as he held down an FBI-scrutinized position while struggling with heroin addiction. [11:52]
• Where did George’s path to addiction begin, and what led to his sobriety? [15:01]
• How did mindfulness enter George’s life, and what helped him remain sober in the interim? [20:58]
• Books that George found particularly useful during this time. [26:45]
• Books that George has recommended and gifted most often. [29:10]
• After becoming sober and cultivating greater awareness, how did George connect with the world of elite sports? [31:49]
• What value did Phil Jackson see in bringing George’s skill set to the Chicago Bulls, and had he tried to impart this value in other ways prior to George’s involvement? [34:20]
• How has George helped the players in his care manage the distractions of constant public scrutiny? [39:12]
• How has George approached helping players who have wildly different personalities and preferences? [43:28]
• Counterintuitive advice from George that Kobe always remembered, and a general formula for remembering that the most direct way to achieve something isn’t always the most efficacious. [46:59]
• What does George mean when he refers to “the dizziness of freedom?” [48:44]
• Barrier breakthrough versus the improvement trap, and the moment “Mike” Jordan became “Michael” Jordan. [52:53]
• George recalls another memorable breakthrough moment. [54:55]
• Advice George Mumford of 2021 would give to the younger George Mumford who was just beginning to work with high-level athletes. [58:37]
• How does George use the four As — awareness, acceptance, action, assessment — in the context of making adjustments to form in order to achieve something? [59:53]
• How George used the four As to teach a class of people who didn’t speak his language, and a friend of his used the four As to rescue a prison class from descending into utter chaos. [1:05:00]
• What is George most excited about these days? [1:09:17]
• George’s ask to the audience and parting thoughts. [1:12:56]

PEOPLE MENTIONED

The Tim Ferriss Show is one of the most popular podcasts in the world with more than 600 million downloads. It has been selected for "Best of Apple Podcasts" three times, it is often the #1 interview podcast across all of Apple Podcasts, and it's been ranked #1 out of 400,000+ podcasts on many occasions. To listen to any of the past episodes for free, check out this page.