Visitors to my website and my social media followers likely notice the color scheme of black, white and purple. All of the images that I feature on my post headers are desaturated to show the black and white contrast. All of my links and buttons are highlighted with a shade of deep purple.

So what? Well, first and foremost I am a referee, and we referees have a saying: “The rulebook is black-and-white, but we earn our money in the gray.” By including black, white, and grays in my color scheme I acknowledge that life is not as black-and-white as my mind likes to think it is. Each time I visit my site to write a post or create a new page I am reminded to ask myself: “Am I engaging in black-and-white, or all-or-nothing, thinking? Can I be okay living in the gray?”

Also, wearing stripes is where I feel the most confident and the most secure in my abilities. Some may find it strange that refereeing benefits my mental health. Certainly, most of the stories about refs is on how they mess up amidst the chaos within competition, but I have found that I enjoy being in the center of the storm. It’s the place where I am most calm, and where I can, through my behavior and responses, bring others to a calmer state.

That is why black and white feature so prominently on Mental Agility, but what purpose does the color purple serve?

Purple garments, were considered extremely valuable in antiquity because the color was difficult to manufacture. Due to its value and rarity, purple has historically been the color of nobility. No, I am not suggesting that people start referring to me as Your Royal Highness, but through therapy, meditation, mindfulness, breath work, writing, and speaking, I attempt to develop a more noble mind. A queen or king wouldn’t be caught dead slumping back into their throne. Look at paintings of past rulers and you’ll see a stiff-backed monarch sitting proudly upon a stiff-backed chair.

With nobility, much like refereeing, perception is reality. A supplicant would not feel comfortable making a request of a monarch who didn’t look powerful. A noble posture indicates power, control, and strength in the face of a world of problems and insecurities. A referee with an untucked shirt, a dirty hat, and poor posture does not look capable or confident. Coaches and players will rightfully doubt an unkempt referee’s knowledge and abilities strictly by how that referee looks.

I am actively engaged in bringing my referee mentality off the field, and adding a dash of noble perspective to my mind. The colors for Mental Agility represent these objectives, and act as powerful reminders for what I personally aim to achieve with my writing and public speaking.

Just think of how well we could prepare the upcoming generation if we taught them how to deal with the automatic thoughts that arise within the mind that do not serve their long-term wellbeing! They would be better equipped to manage stress, disappointment, failure, broken relationships, criticism (both from others and from themselves), and suffering. In short, they will be prepared for the inevitabilities of life.

Imagine how well stressed-out adults could live if they were trained in practical ways to lessen their stress, their negative thoughts, and channel their minds to focus on what makes life worth living. Not money, not work, not even play, but more meaningful connections with others and with themselves.

All of these things are possible, and they are what I want Mental Agility to offer for people of all ages. If you’d like to book me to speak to your school, organization, or team I would relish the opportunity to share my story, and techniques to make the mind less of an enemy and more of a friend.