This morning, during my early walk, my mind wandered to the 2001 film A Beautiful Mind. As the crisp air filled my lungs and my feet hit the pavement, I reflected on just how powerful our minds truly are. Regardless of the circumstances we find ourselves in—no matter how tough life gets—we can choose to empower ourselves with thought. Words matter. Questions matter. And “fighting the good fight”—mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically—is what truly makes us stronger.
Perhaps it’s because I’ve been thinking a lot about my upcoming self-defense seminars—about teaching others how to fight smart, fight strong, and fight with purpose—that this idea felt so pressing. True self-defense isn’t just about the physical. It’s about training the mind to react, to adapt, to push forward no matter the odds. And if there’s a film that captures the essence of that fight, it’s A Beautiful Mind.
Back in 2001, I sat in a darkened theater, watching Russell Crowe bring John Nash to life. I remember walking out of that theater, not just moved, but stirred. Not because it was a story of genius. Not even because it was a story of schizophrenia. But because it was a story of choice—the choice to fight, every single day, for control over one’s own mind. That hit me hard.
Now, if you haven’t seen it (and you should), here’s the short of it. A Beautiful Mind follows the life of John Nash, a brilliant mathematician whose mind could unlock patterns no one else could see. But that same mind also created illusions so real they nearly destroyed him. Nash suffered from schizophrenia, a condition that blurred the line between reality and delusion. He saw people who weren’t there, lived stories that weren’t real, and struggled to separate truth from fiction in his own head.
The power of this story isn’t in how he “overcame” schizophrenia—because he didn’t. He learned to live with it, to recognize the illusions, and to choose—every single moment—not to engage with them. That’s what moved me. And that’s where the life lessons start.
1. The Fight is Real, and You Have to Choose It Every Day
I think about this a lot. John Nash woke up every morning knowing his mind would lie to him, knowing he would see things that weren’t real, hear voices that weren’t there. And yet, he made the conscious choice to fight for his own mind. He couldn’t erase the struggle, but he could face it. He fought minute by minute. He fought because he had to.
And isn’t that the way life is? We all have battles—some seen, some unseen. Fear. Trauma. Self-doubt. Pain. We don’t get to pick the fight, but we sure as hell get to pick whether or not we stand in it.
🔥 Living Strong Lesson: You don’t need to win the war today. Just win the next moment. Then the next. And the next.
2. Your Mind Can Be Your Greatest Ally or Your Worst Opponent
John Nash’s mind was both a gift and a curse. It gave him a way of seeing the world no one else had, yet it also became his prison. But once he recognized the traps his own mind set for him, he found his way through.
This is true for all of us. The way we think dictates the way we live. If we let self-doubt run wild, it will tear us down before the world even gets a chance to. But if we train our minds—to recognize negative thought patterns, to discipline our focus, to strengthen our resilience—then we take control.
🔥 Living Strong Lesson: Master your mind, or it will master you.
3. No One Fights Alone—Find Your Tribe
John Nash had Alicia—his wife, his rock. She saw the brilliance in him, even when his mind was betraying him. She stayed, she fought alongside him, and because of that, he found his way back.
We all need people like that. We need those who see us when we can’t even see ourselves, who stand with us when our battles feel too heavy to carry alone. And we need to be that for someone else. Because no one fights alone. Not really.
🔥 Living Strong Lesson: Find your people. Lean on them. And when you can, be someone’s rock.
Final Thought: Strength is Found in the Fight
John Nash didn’t “beat” schizophrenia. He learned to coexist with it without letting it define him. That’s the greatest victory of all—not eliminating struggle, but refusing to be owned by it.
And that’s the essence of Living Strong. Life is going to throw punches. Some will land hard. But as long as we’re standing, choosing, and fighting forward, we’re winning.
So, whatever your battle is—physical, mental, emotional—take a page from Nash’s book. Stand in the fight. Master your mind. And never do it alone.
Because your mind? It’s a beautiful thing. Train it. Protect it. And use it to live strong.
