Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks stepped up to the podium after a spectacularly bad performance. The perenially NFL MVP candidate finished last week’s game with a 37% QBR. That would have been a poor performance for a backup.
Yet Wilson maintains his focus on “becoming great.”
“I’ve been through tough times before, and there’s always something better on the other end of it.”
Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks Quarterback
As a lifelong Seahawks fan, I’ve come to appreciate Wilson’s ability to perform magic both on the field and in press conferences. It’s as if he approaches post-loss interviews the same way he takes the field with the result in the balance. He expects victory and convinces others that he will lead them to glory.
That he’s been successful more often than not lends credence to his words.
This year, though, it’s easier to mock his unwavering belief in the face of what seems like insurmountable adversity. That’s Wilson is just engaging in Jedi-style mind-tricks. When your team is 3-7 and realistically out of the playoff picture, Wilson’s responses feel detached from reality.
It reminds me of what Walter Isaacson called Steve Jobs’ “Reality Distortion Field.”
Jobs’ famously (and often not so pleasantly) willed deadlines to be met.
In a stubbornly similar fashion, Wilson refuses to believe that reality cannot be changed.
It’s for this reason that the press conference pablum like “we just have to play better” and “we had our opportunities” sound different when they emanate from Wilson’s mouth.
If you watch him perform, he appears to be fully present. Not detached. He refuses to dwell on the past. Wilson’s approach is simple. Appreciate your gifts and prepare for a future you know will be better when you put in the work.
It’s no wonder why he’s captivating to watch.
Why wouldn’t I want to embrace this approach?
The reality distortion field makes perfect sense.