3.5 Ideas from Jim Murphy — #1 NY Times Best Selling author of “Inner Excellence”
“We do not climb mountains to get to the top. We climb them to see who we can become.” — Jim Murphy
Jim Murphy is the #1 NY Times Best Selling author of “Inner Excellence.” Jim teaches mental skills to professional athletes with a unique focus on the heart, spirit, and will.
“Inner Excellence” rocketed to #1 on the New York Times and Amazon bestseller lists after Eagles wide receiver AJ Brown was seen reading it on the sidelines during a playoff game against the Green Bay Packers in January 2025.
What makes Jim’s approach different is his emphasis on spiritual growth and mastering the ego as the foundation for peak performance.
Jim’s journey includes playing minor league baseball for the Chicago Cubs, serving as a hitting coach for the South African Olympic team, and developing a coaching philosophy influenced by basketball legends Phil Jackson, John Wooden, and Dean Smith.
3.5 Ideas from Jim Murphy:
1) Master Your Ego by Letting Go of PALMS
- “The ego is one of the biggest challenges you face in performance and in life. It’s the part of you that’s always threatened, always comparing, never satisfied.”
- “We have these attachments, especially in Western culture: Possessions, Achievements, Looks, Money, and Status (PALMS). These easily take us out of our flow of resonance and into constant comparison.”
- “Being unembarrassable, unoffendable, and unirritatable — that’s mastering the ego.”
2) Focus on What’s Stable and Eternal, Not What’s Temporary and Superficial
- “What’s essential is invisible to the eye. Most people are immersed in a world that’s obsessed about temporary, superficial things and circumstances that are constantly changing.”
- “Anxiety is a mind with too many thoughts from too many concerns. To reduce anxiety, reduce your thoughts. To reduce your thoughts, simplify your life. To simplify your life, have a clear purpose.”
- “Our deepest need is to be fully known and fully loved unconditionally. When you’re connected to what’s stable and eternal, not attached to what’s temporary and superficial, you can find freedom.”
3) Your Opponent is Not Your Enemy, But Your Partner in the Dance
- “For me to be my best, I need someone to push me to get better. There’s no way Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant or LeBron is great without those great opponents.”
- “There’s no greatness within ourselves unless we help others be great. You can’t reach your full potential without empowering others to be great.”
- “If you let go of your obsession with winning and what you want but can’t control, then you’ve got options. You need freedom to fail if you want to be great.”
3.5) What’s ONE LESSON Everyone Should Take Away?
- “Most people are too busy rushing around trying to get the extraordinary life they want. Their plan is to make more money and be more successful so they can slow down, but that’s the great mistake.”
- “No matter your circumstance, slow down your life, pursue a purpose beyond yourself, and ask God how you can grow in that. Then you can have everything else added to you.”
- “Selfless is fearless.”
Connect with Jim Murphy:
- Book: “Inner Excellence”
- Website: innerexcellence.comInstagram: @InnerExcellenceJimMurphy
- X: @InnerExcellence
- Book: “The Best Possible Life”
