When I watch Neymar Jr play for Barcelona FC, all I see is PURE JOY. He does what he absolutely loves and he is humble about his good fortune. I love watching the most elite of athletes because they make their hard work look so effortless. The ease comes from knowing exactly who they are. And knowing that they’re doing exactly what they should be doing and WHY they love doing what they do.
Neymar Jr My Goal Was Not To Be Famous
In April this year he was the only football player who made it on Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2017 list. They placed him in the Icons category, side by side with people like gymnast Simone Biles and Oscar winner actor, Viola Davis. Each person included on the list had their profile written by another personality. Retired great, David Beckham wrote this about Neymar Jr:
“A series of images I once discovered on the Internet shows me and Neymar together over a decade, from when I was at Real Madrid and he was just a young boy to today. Although it does make me feel my age, it also shows the remarkable progression of a young man who at 25 is well on his way to becoming the best player in the world.”
It wasn’t easy of course. Mental attitude is EVERYTHING. And every gigantic obstacle, even a terrible injury, as you’ll see later, can be a temporary obstacle. The key word is TEMPORARY. Your psychological state of mind is your greatest asset or it’s your greatest setback.
Neymar Jr. wears no. 11 for Barcelona. He made his debut with them on July 20, 2013, during a friendly game against Lechia Gdansk, in Poland, but his official debut happened in August 18, at Camp Nou, in a 7-0 route against Levante. The first time he scored for Barça in an official duel was in the Spanish Supercup, on August 21, when he tied the game by 1-1 against Atletico Madrid.
He makes it to a list of great Brazilians who also scored 100 or more goals in official games for the FC Barcelona. The player appeared with 100 goals in 176 games, Evaristo with 105 in 151 and Rival leads, with 130 goals in 235 duels. For sure, this young man’s career has only just started. He is after all, only 25 years old this year. His birthday is February 4 – he’s an Aquarian, just like me!
Here are some major career highlights:
As part of Barça’s attacking trio with Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez, he won the continental treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the UEFA Champions League in the 2014–15 season. I like to call them the Three Amigos – being in Spain!
With 51 goals in 76 matches for Brazil since debuting at age 18, Neymar Jr is the fourth-highest goalscorer for his national team.
I became aware of him during the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, which is the competition held the year before the World Cup and features all the winners of the respective soccer federations in each region. In fact, when I was in Italy later on that summer, I found a street vendor selling his jersey and promptly bought two, one for myself and one for my son. He won the Golden Ball as player of that tournament.
Known for his dribbling, finishing, and ability with both feet, Neymar Jr has earned comparisons to former Brazil and Santos forward Pelé. He is also compared to the great Maradona. I recently saw a wonderful video of him and Maradona on Bein Sports Channel, which alternately showed Maradona’s famous moves with Neymar’s moves. I once saw a video of Neymar Jr scoring a goal during practice when he has his back towards the goal and he flipped the ball behind him and scored a goal.
Brazilian soccer players have always thrilled me with their skill, creativity and inspired play – and it’s a very long lineup with Pele, Romario, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, KaKa and so many others, and of course Neymar Jr.
His father and Pele are his advisors. They have guided his career. he didn’t rush into Europe. They stayed until the best deal and team came by and that’s why he’s with Barcelona.
My greatest thrill was actually watching him play live at the Brazil World Cup in 2014. It was so perfect. Towards the end of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, we heard that Brazil would be the next to host the world’s most famous tournament. My oldest son, Nolan and I looked at each other and said, Yeah, we’re going!” It was a no brainer – after all Brazil is the Mecca of Football.
We were at the game between Columbia and Brazil in Fortaleza. I knew already that success at the world cup rested totally on Neymar’s shoulders. I thought that was really unfair, because it really does take a team to win. So when Neymar Jr went down during that game, it wasn’t good. Brazil managed to win the game. But the news of a broken back worried many, including me. A back injury is serious under nay circumstances.
So I was hoping his career wasn’t over. Thankfully, he sought the right type of healthcare. I heard on his Twitter feed that he’d gone to a village near his home to get some Ayurvedic medicine. Later in Barcelona, his team doctors attended to him. Within some weeks, he made a full recovery. Thank God!
Since then, everything has gone extremely well. In fact, he’s scored his one hundredth goal for Barcelona (and more since then). Last summer he helped his team win the Olympic Gold medal in men’s soccer. To me, that meant a lot to him as much as winning all the awards that Barcelona has won since he’s been with them. A national championship means a lot to the Brazilians.
Neymar Jr has a big heart – for life, for family and for others. He uses his resources to help others.
Neymar has a son, Davi Lucca, with former girlfriend Carolina Dantas. Neymar was quoted as saying “I cried when I learned that I would be his father. At first, I felt fear. Then joy. It is a new responsibility and I am now enjoying it.” He described the birth of his son as “2.8 kilograms of pure happiness.” He takes very good care of his family.
Neymar has spoken about his faith saying, “Life only makes sense when our highest ideal is to serve Christ!” Neymar reportedly also tithes (10%) his income to his church. Each year, Neymar organizes a charity match with fellow Brazilian footballer Nenê in Nenê’s hometown of Jundiaí, with the purpose of raising food for needy families.
There’s just this pure joy when I watch him. And a pure enjoyment of life.
We’re all meant to live life successfully. I recently began to read the book, Psycho-Pictography by Vernon Howard. He says that the true meaning of success is to really enjoy life. Also that we are strong enough not to let the things that happen to us get us down, IF only we would accept that truth. So my question to you is whether you can just let go of all the disappointments and just live your life and keep moving forward.
Neymar has suffered some defeats but he rises again. Healing from a broken back could have crippled him, mentally and physically, but he obviously has great faith. That’s why he’s one of the most inspiring athletes around! He is successful because of the way he thinks with gratitude and with love. That’s why he healed so quickly. It’s so obvious. So many can take his example.
My work is all about possibility and possibility thinking. It changes the brain. It heals the brain. Neuroplasticity works both ways. You’re either shrinking the brain which is therefore a sick brain or you’re growing it. As you expand your life by WHAT you are THINKING, you are encouraging the birth and growth of new healthy brain cells and creating new healthy neural networks.
Because you’ve chosen to think constructively and positively and then taken those thoughts and put them into action to produce the results you want!
So, what about you?
Are you pouring your heart and soul into something that has a lot of meaning for you?
Are you ready to make tough decisions and go after what you want?
Success is not easy, not matter how you cut it. But the results are mighty fine. Stop living small. Dream big. Do big. Take a leap of faith. And be your own person all the way!
Dr. Joanny Liu, TCMD, P.Eng, International #1 Best Selling Author and founder of Extraordinary Sports Medicine, where we help athletes reverse injury, get back in the game they love and improve their quality of life.
P.S. Watch Nathan’s Successful Recovery from Post Concussion Syndrome:
If you or someone you care about has a concussion or post concussion syndrome then pick up Dr. Joanny’s best seller: Heal Your Concussion: How to Quickly and Effectively Get Back in the Game
