You do not have to be an Olympic gold medalist to be in need of a pep talk.
On Monday, in fewer than 10 seconds, U.S. sprinting superstar Noah Lyles became the fastest man alive with his Olympics gold-medal victory in the 100 meters. And after his win, he posted an encouraging message online:
“I have Asthma, allergies, dyslexia, ADD, anxiety, and Depression. But I will tell you that what you have does not define what you can become. Why Not You!” he wrote on X , formerly Twitter. The post has more than 280,000 likes.
Lyles has been open about his mental health in the past. In interviews, he shared how he developed depression because of COVID and racial injustice in America; as a result, he sought treatment with therapy. In fact, Lyles credits a phone call with his therapist for helping him get in the right mindset before the men’s 100-meter Olympics final.
“I came in third-fastest from the semis. I’m like, ‘This is going to be serious, this is not going to be easy,’ ... My therapist said, ‘You need to let go, you need to relax and you need to be yourself,’” he recounted to reporters.
Lyles followed that advice and embraced his role as hypeman. When his name was announced before the final, he bounced out with joy, raising his hands up and down as the crowd roared back in response. By embracing his confidence, Lyles ran the race as himself — and it paid off. He won in the final stride, by a fraction of a second.
Noah Lyles, of the United States, left, wins the men's 100-meter final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France.
Lyles follows in the footsteps of other Olympians like gymnast Simone Biles who are open about how important mental health is to their ability to perform. What’s noteworthy is how being open about this is still so remarkable ― especially when you’re a Black man.
Tanisha Ranger , a Nevada-based clinical psychologist, believes so many people found Lyles’ post-win tweet to be inspirational because he was refreshingly upfront about his mental health, which is still not common for men, particularly men of color. By sharing his own health diagnoses, Ranger said, Lyles is helping others with the same condition to feel less alone.
Lyles is showing that “It does exist not all in your head. And people do heal from it. They manage it, they work with it, and they live fruitful lives,” Ranger said. “And I think that his statement really kind of encapsulates that.“
It’s an important lesson for us all; our mental health or any other struggle doesn’t have to define us or take away an opportunity. You may not be an elite track star competing on a world stage, but there will likely come a time when you feel self-doubt about your capabilities and worry about whether you can pull it off. But why not now ― and why not you?
How To Embrace ‘Why Not You’ Energy
Most of us won’t be Olympians, but we can all relate to the fear of not being good enough ― especially when our minds and bodies are not feeling their best. Lyles did not let a diagnosis dictate his future success. Don’t limit yourself before you begin.
“So many of us hold limiting beliefs that come from somewhere outside of us, conditioned by the very real negative, ableist messages and barriers we have faced. I see this coming up a lot when people are applying to jobs or seeking promotion,” said psychologist and executive coach Lauren Appio .
“This is such a great role and there are going to be so many applicants. Why would they hire me?” Appio said as one example.
“Of course, those limiting beliefs can then impact our behavior: We might avoid applying for the job, reaching out to people in our network who might refer us, or advocating for ourselves during the promotion process,” she said. “That behavior will absolutely get in the way of our success, but it’s not because we aren’t worthy.”
So many of us hold limiting beliefs that come from somewhere outside of us, conditioned by the very real negative, ableist messages and barriers we have faced. Lauren Appio, psychologist and executive coach
That’s why Appio said Lyles’ call to action of “Why not you?” can be helpful for people dealing with self-doubt.
“Sometimes, simply asking ourselves, ‘Why not me?’ can cut through those limiting beliefs and help us challenge avoidance and procrastination,” she continued. “I hope everyone who has seen and shared [Lyles’] words remembers that even someone who is truly the best in the world has faced setbacks and challenges.”
To combat negative self-talk that holds you back, Ranger suggests reframing doubts as, “What if it goes really right? What if I get exactly what I want, and then why shouldn’t I?”
If you want to go deeper, Ranger says she often recommends the books “ Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself ” by Kristen Neff and Thomas Gagliano’s “ The Problem Was Me: How to End Negative Self-Talk and Take Your Life to a New Level ” to clients.
Believing in yourself takes time, but it’s worth it.
Learning to be less self-critical and judgmental not only benefits you but also the next generation. “Oftentimes, when I talk to parents, I always tell them to be careful how you speak to your children, because that’s going to become their inner voice one day,” Ranger said.
You never know when someone’s words will make all the difference. In Lyles’ case, he said it helped to have the unwavering faith of his old coach. He dedicated his gold medal to his late coach at Alexandria City High School, Rashawn Jackson, who died earlier this summer: “He believed that I was going to be a 100-meter runner just as much as I was going to be a 200-meter runner,” Lyles said in an emotional post-win interview.
How you talk to yourself shapes how you talk to others. So give yourself the pep talk you need before your next meeting or race. Why not you?
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