All Rivers Run To The Sea And Yet The Sea Is Not Full

“Life is not just about peaks and valleys, about wins and losses. Life is about the journey. You hear that all the time. You’ve got to absorb that. You’ve got to know that. The journey has to become the destination because there is no true destination. There is no endpoint. There is no goal. All rivers run to the sea and yet the sea is not full. Life goes on; accept what life gives you. The sun rises the morning after you win the championship or lose in the first round.”
— Paul Assaiante, Run To The Roar

This quote isn’t just poetic—it’s accurate. It mirrors what I teach inside Major League Mindset, and what I learned through my own career. There’s depth in every sentence, so I’m breaking it down one part at a time and pairing it with the way we train the mental game at MLM and MLM+.

1. “Life is not just about peaks and valleys, about wins and losses.”

Most athletes are taught—implicitly or explicitly—that performance is everything. If they’re playing well, they feel good. If not, their confidence disappears. This mindset is fragile and unsustainable.

At Major League Mindset, we help athletes detach their identity from performance. We teach them to build their foundation around preparation, effort, and attention—not outcomes. That’s how they become consistent, regardless of circumstance.

2. “Life is about the journey. You hear that all the time. You’ve got to absorb that.”

The phrase “enjoy the journey” has become background noise in sports. We help athletes build their journey—not just talk about it. That means using tools inside the MLM+ app like visualization, daily mindset reps, and the Champion’s Journal to create structure. That’s how you develop internal discipline—not by wishing for it, but by doing the mental work every day.

3. “The journey has to become the destination because there is no true destination. There is no endpoint. There is no goal.”

If you treat confidence like a destination, you’ll spend your entire career chasing it. Most players think they’ll finally feel secure once they reach a certain stat line, sign a commitment, or get an award. But that moment never lasts. If your sense of self is built on moments, you’ll always need the next one.

Inside MLM, we train athletes to let go of this idea of “arrival.” The real aim is to build a system that holds up under pressure. A routine that steadies you. A mindset that isn’t tied to what just happened—but to how you respond, today.

4. “All rivers run to the sea and yet the sea is not full.”

There’s always another win to chase. Another ranking. Another season. It never ends.

That’s why chasing the external stuff never leads to long-term stability. What we teach instead is self-regulation. Reflection. Daily actions that define your identity regardless of what the scoreboard says.

If you’re waiting for a result to make you feel complete, you’ll stay stuck.

5. “Life goes on; accept what life gives you.”

In competition, frustration comes when reality doesn’t meet your expectations. You strike out. You sit on the bench. You miss the shot. You can either fight it—or learn how to respond with clarity.

MLM athletes are taught to focus on what’s in their control: effort, mindset, breathing, posture. Accepting reality isn’t about giving up. It’s about recognizing what you can influence—and letting go of the rest.

6. “The sun rises the morning after you win the championship or lose in the first round.”

No matter how high or low the moment, the world keeps moving. So do we.

This is the core of what I teach. Your identity can’t be built on the temporary. It has to be built on how you prepare, how you carry yourself, and how you handle difficulty. Not just once—but over time.

That’s what we develop inside Major League Mindset.

There is no final arrival point. No ultimate version of “making it.” Just the work in front of you, and how you approach it. That’s not discouraging. It’s freeing. Because when you stop trying to be perfect, you start focusing on what you can control—today.

That’s the mindset we’re building. Not for the highlight. Not for approval. But because how you train the mental game shapes how you show up in every part of your life.

— Brandon