Nahum Lewis '22 Recruiting Profile

A time when I questioned or challenged a belief or idea has been recently because I had heavy doubt about playing professional basketball and I almost thought about quitting. I still go through it sometimes because it’s hard to keep a clear mind when there are so many different things that you have to consistently ponder on. “Am I really going to make it?” “Why put all this work into a possibility?” I have trouble sleeping at night sometimes because this is really something I want to pursue and make my lifestyle, the fact that it is a possibility that I won’t make it scares me. I put time and effort into my craft. The amount of strain that the thought puts on my mind daily is hard to control at times. What I tend to do now is meditate and pray more. Meditation helps me to ease my mind and calm/silence the loud negative thoughts that patrols my brain throughout the day. It helps me stay focused on the task at hand and helps me to get through it. Prayer keeps me focused as well, praying leads me to know what I need to do and guides me through my everyday life.

Another strategy I use to silence negative thoughts is to play even more basketball. That’s my ultimate therapy when I have a basketball in my hands. It's almost as though nothing else matters, it's just me and an orange ball. The sound of the ball hitting the hardwood floor and the sound of the ball going through the net really calms my mind and allows me to lock-in to the things I’m working on such as new moves I’m trying to learn, moves I know that I’m trying to get better at, or simply just get some shots up. I mainly try to tell myself to stay focused and not think about the if. I try to keep my vision on the end goal because I believe everything will eventually pan out. I stay in my own lane, I do right by people and treat them with respect, and I work hard in what I do. I believe in what goes around comes around. I know the type of person I am and I know that if I continue to do what I’m doing and I know if I continue to be me and act how I act I’m destined for everything that’s coming my way and I’m built for it.