Humble Tom Brady

After beating the Green Bay Packers on their home turf en route to his 10th Super Bowl in his illustrious 20-year, Hall-of-Fame career, Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady is walking around the field carrying the winning football in his hands, looking to the stands. He drops the ball, glances toward a specific section, searching for his son Jack. Brady politely asks the security guard if his son can come down to greet him. The female guard nods her head, allowing Jack to pass by to meet his superstar father. They both share a special moment and embrace while celebrating the joy of another Brady achievement. For all of the things that Brady does on the field, this little 60 second exchange is a deep portrait of the man and illustrates what makes him so special.

Tom Brady’s greatest strength isn’t his athletic talent, arm, mind, diet or even ability to read NFL defenses. His No. 1 attribute, one we all should copy, lies in his genuine, humble behavior.

From his first Super Bowl win in 2001 to that moment on the field in Green Bay, Brady is passionately driven by humility and is never influenced by his prior success. He behaves as if he has never won anything, that each day is a new day to prove something to himself and to his teammates. He is relentless in his pursuit of excellence for himself and translates it to his teammates. Because of his longevity, most of his teammates could be his son, which could create massive problems. Not with Brady. Because he never acts superior or tells “remember when” stories, his work ethic, commitment, dedication and hunger are on display every day for those to observe and emulate. His humble behavior creates followers, hard workers and dedicated people all willing to put winning first. Brady never acts entitled, never plays the “know it all game.” He understands that he still needs to be coached regardless of how much success he has achieved. He embraces improvement as if he were a rookie drafted in the sixth round just entering the NFL.

Whether we are a Tom Brady, New England Patriots or Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan, we need to find ways to become humble, to spend more time developing our humility. In Mother Teresa’s The Joy in Loving: A Guide to Daily Living, she recommends we try and follow these steps toward humility.

1. To speak as little as possible of one's self.

2. To mind one's own business.

3. Not to want to manage other people's affairs.

4. To accept contradictions and correction cheerfully.

5. To pass over the mistakes of others.

6. To accept insults and injuries.

7. To accept being slighted, forgotten and disliked.

8. To be kind and gentle even under provocation.

9. Never to stand on one's dignity.

10. To choose always the hardest.

Let’s be more humble. Brady has proven it truly works.

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