Make Vulnerability Your Superpower (with NBA star Kevin Love)
New episode of The Happiness Lab: “Make Vulnerability Your Superpower (with NBA star Kevin Love)”
I've never felt this short before in my life, and I have photographic evidence to prove it:
Kevin Love and me at the iHeart Studio. Kevin is 6'8". I am very much not.
Mental health issues can be just as disruptive to our wellbeing as physical health problems—if not more so. But in some communities, the stigma around talking about psychological struggles still runs deep.
Men are much less likely than women to seek counseling or treatment for mental health challenges. And among athletes? That stigma remains particularly entrenched.
It often takes someone accomplished, respected, and at the top of their game to model vulnerability and open these conversations for others. That's why I'm thrilled to share my conversation with five-time NBA All-Star Kevin Love.
Everybody's going through something that you can't see. — Kevin Love
What Kevin Love Learned About Mental Health (The Hard Way)
You can't achieve your way out of mental health struggles.
Kevin kept thinking: one more championship, one more accolade, and I'll finally feel okay. But achievements only give us a temporary reward and then we return to baseline. Chasing external validation to fix internal struggles doesn't work.
Vulnerability actually makes you stronger.
Kevin was terrified that opening up would end his career. Instead, it freed him and led him to start the Kevin Love Fund. When we own our struggles instead of hiding them, we take away their power.
You're more than your win-loss record.
When your entire sense of self is wrapped up in one role—athlete, parent, student, professional—any threat to that role feels like an existential crisis. Kevin spent years as "just a basketball player." Therapy helped him realize: I'm a person first.
Healing can start with a single conversation.
Kevin spent years hiding his struggles, believing he had to handle everything alone—until he finally opened up and everything changed. Healing can begin by simply telling one person you trust about what you're going through.
Breaking The Stigma with The Kevin Love Fund
Now, through the Kevin Love Fund, Kevin has developed a free social-emotional learning curriculum being taught in schools worldwide. The goal? Give young people—especially athletes—the language and tools to talk about mental health that he didn't have growing up.
Take Action This Week: If you're a teacher, coach, parent, or leader, model vulnerability to the people who look up to you—and give yourself a little compassion too.
Looking for more?
You can find all our companion guides from this season of The Happiness Lab on DrLaurieSantos.com/Newsletter.
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