The Zone Is a Skill, Not an Accident

A Proactive Coaching podcast interview with Jordan Lewis — founder of Headstrong Health, psychology graduate of William Jewell College in Missouri, and former four-year college basketball player — hosted by Lori Thomas. Topics covered: how Rob Miller's Proactive Coaching talks at his high school shaped his approach to leadership; the personal struggles with stress and loved ones' battles with anxiety, addiction, and suicidal thoughts that led him to mindfulness; what mindfulness is (paying attention, on purpose, to the present moment); the connection between mindfulness and peak athletic performance ("the zone"); how coaches can start (their own self-practice, plus team check-in rituals); the three keys to living mindfully (being in tune, being intentional, embracing challenge); why avoiding negative emotions backfires (the "don't think of a tree" effect); and how mindfulness relates to rising mental health struggles in today's youth.