Books and literature

NFL star A.J. Brown turned a little-known self-help book into an Amazon best-seller: This is 1 of its key takeaways

"Inner Excellence" argues people can achieve better results in their chosen fields if they look inward and change their mindset about success.

NFL star A.J. Brown turned a little-known self-help book into an Amazon best-seller: This is 1 of its key takeaways
Al Bello | Getty Images Sport | Getty Images

NFL star A.J. Brown turned a little-known self-help book into an Amazon best-seller: This is 1 of its key takeaways

Football players tend to be responsible for selling tickets and jerseys. But one NFL star inadvertently turned a self-help book into a best-seller.

Philadelphia Eagles star wide receiver A.J. Brown was spotted reading "Inner Excellence" on the sidelines during his team's matchup against the Packers on Sunday. The moment went viral, sending sales of the book skyrocketing.

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As of Tuesday morning the book, which promises to "train your mind for extraordinary performance and the best possible life," is the No. 1 best selling book on Amazon.

"Inner Excellence" was published in 2020 and teaches readers that they can achieve better results in their chosen fields if they look inward and think about their desires and mindset surrounding success.

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"Most of us have had it backwards, trying to be successful in order to be happy," author Jim Murphy writes in the book's introduction. "If we focus on improving our inner world, however, we'll achieve far more."

For Brown, "Inner Excellence" is a useful tool to keep his mind sharp during games, describing the challenges of football as "90% mental and 10% physical."

"If I score a touchdown or drop a pass, it's how I refocus," Brown said when asked about the book after the game. "[The book] states if you can just have a clear mind and remember that nothing else matters, clear conscience, nothing matters negative or positive. You're willing to take risks. It also says if you're humble, you can't be embarrassed."

Among the Murphy's many ideas in the book is the argument that the world has a generally flawed view of competition. This view of it as a zero-sum game, he argues, prevents people from embracing a more successful mindset.

Murphy identified five common refrains about competition and how someone with an "Inner Excellence" mindset would view them instead.

  • Winning is everything: "Developing inner strength, fully experiencing the moment, and continually growing are far more lasting and empowering," he writes.
  • You are your results: "Results are an inconsistent measure of success and failure," Murphy argues. "You can perform poorly and win, just as you can perform well and lose."
  • The opponent is the enemy: Rather than viewing your opponent as the "enemy" to be defeated, he suggests viewing them as being the other half of the same coin. "The opponent is our partner in the dance," he writes.
  • Failure is not an option: "Failure is the key component of growth," he writes. "There is no real 'failure,' only feedback." It's a mindset that is shared by one of the greatest champions in the history of sports: Tom Brady. The champion quarterback said a steady stream of failures and rejections early in his sporting career helped turn him into a seven-time Super Bowl winner.
  • Fierce competitors get mad when they lose: "The best competitors develop emotional control and use mistakes to get better," Murphy says.

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