Jeff Welsch liked this
Great question-and-answer, worth watching! The best caregivers think like this.
Eileen Gu, the Olympic freeski champion, was asked how she answers so quickly. Her response was a masterclass in how to think and stay steady under pressure:
"You can control WHAT you think...you can control HOW you think... and so, you can control WHO YOU ARE."
She then added, "I spend a lot of time in my head... and, it’s not a bad place to be."
This hit different for me, as I reflected on my own experiences of being a caregiver since my early 30s and helping many other caregivers. The internal mindset makes such an enormous difference in how people cope with enormous stress.
I think caregiving is its own kind of high-performance sport, but there's no medal or celebration for you. And, caregiving puts you in your head constantly... the guilt, the exhaustion, the impossible decisions about someone you love.
Unlike the Olympics though, most people don't choose to be there - they're just thrown in without warning.
What I've learned over the years is that the best caregivers think like Eileen Gu. They don't just react, but train their minds. They choose presence over panic, patience over frustration. And critically, purpose over burnout.
You can't control a dementia or cancer diagnosis. But you CAN control how you show up for the people who need you. You CAN practice controlling your inner narration: the breath before you respond, the thought you choose to believe, the tone you decide to use.
And that changes everything. ❤️
What do you think?