THE POWER OF ONE
Last week I had the privilege of returning to my alma mater, Herndon High School in Herndon, Virginia, to speak with their student‑athletes about the mental side of life, ON and OFF the field.
I believe deeply in what I share, yet as a speaker I sometimes wonder whether my words truly resonate. I’ve learned to take my own advice: focus on the process, not the outcome.
Years ago learned that before the Dalai Lama addresses thousands, he always imagines he is speaking to one person. When asked how he handles an arena full of people, he said that he speaks the same to one person or to thousands.
That perspective takes the pressure off and allows him to connect authentically. I adopted that mindset long ago: when I travel to speak, I imagine there is at least one person in the room who needs to hear what I’m sharing. If I can help just one person, then the trip was a success.
After the talk at Herndon High, I got a powerful reminder of why this matters. A young athlete named Faith (I’ve removed her last name for privacy) sent me this message via email:
“Hello Mr. Guyer, My name is Faith and I was at Herndon High when you spoke to the student‑athletes. I was the girl who came up to you and fist‑bumped you while crying. I play lacrosse, cheer, winter cheer and gymnastics through the high school, and cheer and lacrosse outside of it. I really struggle with confidence and overthinking, so everything you said spoke to me. My dad coaches baseball and tells me to “flush” my previous mistakes, but I never really took it to heart until you talked about it. I just wanted to let you know how much it meant that you chose to come speak at Herndon and that every single thing you said was exactly what I go through and everything I needed to hear. So thank you SO MUCH.”
Faith’s message warmed my heart. Her words were a reminder that the practices we teach – mindfulness, self‑awareness and rituals like learning to “flush” mistakes – have real impact. Sports psychologists often call this a “next play” mentality: the ability to let go of the last mistake and refocus on the present moment. Coaches even use mantras like “Flush it” or “Next pitch” to help athletes reset quickly. Hearing Faith describe how this concept finally clicked for her made all the travel, preparation and nerves worth it.
I hope her story encourages you, whether you’re a coach, teacher, parent or volunteer. We don’t always get to see the ripple effect of our efforts. We pour ourselves into mentoring others, not for applause, but because we care. It can be tempting to judge our impact by the numbers – the size of the audience, the social media likes, the number of clients – but those metrics miss the deeper purpose. True success is measured in the lives we touch and the hearts we help unlock.
So if you’re out there speaking to a small group, coaching a youth team, teaching in a classroom or simply encouraging a friend, remember this: your presence matters. You may never know the full extent of your influence, but you might be the voice that helps someone flush a mistake and play freely again. That is why we do what we do.
Major League Mindset exists to equip athletes and high performers with tools to handle pressure, manage their thoughts and develop unshakable confidence. Hearing from Faith renewed my own motivation to keep sharing these principles. Thank you for being part of this community, for supporting our mission and for choosing to make a difference in your corner of the world.
If this message resonated with you, feel free to hit reply and share your story. We’re all in this together
With Gratitude,
Brandon Guyer
Founder, Major League Mindset
