Michael Kostka is a former National Hockey League Player who had perhaps a more difficult path to his peak athleticism, but also a most rewarding one. Growing up, Mike was enthralled of his introversion and used it to propel introspection; A skill that blossomed so many of his other passions, notwithstanding his hockey, golf, and constant mental improvements. His path has led him to now serve other high performers and athletes in the ever-so valuable arena of mental performance coaching.

Expect to learn more about Mike's journey as he reflects on who his biggest influences are and how he learned to love his underdog story, even how part of his life was "in shambles" when he first made it to the NHL. This, among many of his tales, act as shining examples of Mike believing in presence as a practice.

Mike also reflects on the biggest misconceptions of mental toughness, the distillation of resilience, and what he believes is the most powerful thing to carry us forward.

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@kevin.p.murphy on Instagram or LEARN MORE HERE

"I was free to create. There was no roadmap...And you just take risks."

Though being in the relative middle-class, Yahaya Baruwa grew up in an impoverished part of Nigeria where materialism was scarce, but creativity was not. Whether it was creating toy cars out of bottle caps and milk cans, or using plastic bags or socks for soccer balls, Yahaya chooses to feel grateful for being so free in his early life. And he believes that these freedoms from childhood allowed him to create, to take risks, and to trust himself to do what is right along the way, which correlated highly to writing his own book and starting his own publishing company in his early twenties.

Yahaya opens up about the struggles of his journey to writing his book - Struggles of a Dreamer - with intentions of inspiring one million people. What was once a disapproval from his own father became one of the biggest catalysts to his creations. Yahaya also reveals why he wrote in secrecy, how he left home with no plans and learned one of the most important lessons of his life, and why earning his first million dollars came as a complete surprise.

In a story of taking risks, we learn through Yahaya that perhaps the biggest risk of all is not pursuing your own dreams and freedoms. But not merely for yourself. Rather for the service you provide and the people you will inspire to chase their dreams along the way.

To be more inspired, please consider Yahaya's book; Struggles of a Dreamer: A Battle Between a Dream and Tradition. It can also be found on the Indigo website.

To support Yahaya and learn more, please visit https://strugglesofadreamer.ca/

Thank you for your attention and interest! Enjoy this episode and please share it with those you think it may help.

@kevin.p.murphy on Instagram or LEARN MORE HERE

"The times where I didn't get the outcome that I wanted, and I sensed those were missing...Those are the hardest moments to accept."

Jonathan Viscosi is a professional football (soccer) player that has lived his childhood dreams in ways he never actually envisioned. From playing locally in Ontario to representing his country during collegiate years, to playing in Europe and obtaining a Master's Degree in Emotional Psychology, his journey possesses a myriad of learnings that go beyond the academic and athletic realms.

And yet, some of Jon's biggest successes are those where no trophy - or external glory - were involved.

Jon reflects on the most rewarding parts of his professional career before sharing how one of his most impactful moments came at a peak when nearly nothing went according to plan. He also contrasts identity and outcomes and what the best solution may be to separate the two for optimal performance.

We dive deeper into Jon's academic research on how high performance can be achieved through self-regulation and the Multi-States Theory. And as the reflections continue, he shares how it's more than self-talk in addition to simple tactics that allow one to achieve their best performances in sports, and in life.

To view some of Jon's powerful published work and blog posts, visit this link.

To support Jon and his journey, or if you're interested in obtaining high-performance coaching, visit

Jon's Socials

Thank you for your attention and interest! Enjoy this episode and please share it with those you think it may help.

@kevin.p.murphy on Instagram or LEARN MORE HERE