The Golden Ball
How depth psychology can help you play the game of life in a more fulfilling way. Three depth psychologists, one of them a former World Cup soccer player, explore soccer as a metaphor for life.
Episodes
After the final match
The World Cup is over. The golden ball has been lifted. And now comes the question: What do you do when the thing you loved so much simply ends?In this episodeThe final match has been played. Spain won. Beauty won. And three depth psychologists sit together one last time to process something that every soccer fan, every creative person, and every human being who has ever given themselves fully to
When Winning Matters
When Winning Matters: Playing to Win vs Playing Not to LoseThere are moments in life when everything is on the line. What happens in your body, your mind, and your soul in that moment? And how do you find lightness when the weight of it all presses down?In this episodeThe World Cup has reached its final stages. Semi-finals. Finals. Moments that will be written into history books. Moments that will
When the Dream Ends
When the dream endsThe World Cup is in the knockout phase. Some dreams have ended. Some players have gone home. And somewhere in a hotel room, someone is replaying the moment over and over, trying to change an outcome that cannot be changed.This episode is about what happens after the loss. Not the analysis. Not the blame. The inner journey that begins when something you cared about deeply does no
Dealing with Criticism
Dealing with criticismHow do you deal with criticism when the world is watching?In this episodeImagine sitting in a beautiful theater, dressed up, surrounded by colleagues and peers. A moment you had been looking forward to. And then, in front of everyone, someone whose opinion matters is asked what they think of you. Their answer: I don't really see it. That moment opens a conversation abou
Creativity
Episode CreativityJohn O'Brien shares a moment of the World Cup. In the second half, something happened on the pitch that stopped the crowd mid-breath. A moment of creativity. A pass nobody saw coming. A decision made in a fraction of a second that could not have been planned.That moment opens a conversation that goes somewhere deeper than tactics or technique. Into what creativity actually
Identity
Identity: Who are you when the shirt comes off?Who are you, really? And what happens when the story you tell about yourself stops working?In this episodeIdentity is one of the most powerful forces in sport and in life. It shapes how we perform, how we belong, and how we respond when things do not go according to plan. But identity can also become a trap. A rigid story that keeps us safe while quie
Believing in Yourself
What does it really mean to believe in yourself? And when does that belief become the very thing that gets in your way?In this episodeSelf-belief is one of the most talked about qualities in sport and in life. But what actually is it? And why does telling someone to "just believe in yourself" so often miss the mark entirely?In this episode, three depth psychologists, one of them a former
Striving for Gold
What are you really chasing? The literal gold the world can see, or, the gold only you can feel? In this episodeWith the World Cup on the horizon, three depth psychologists and one of them a former World Cup player sit down to explore one of the most universal human questions: what does it mean to strive for gold? On the pitch, and also in your career, your relationships, and your daily life.John
Introduction
When we watch soccer, something happens that has nothing to do with the game and everything to do with it. In this introduction, three depth psychologists and one of them a former world cup soccer player, explain why this podcast exists, and answer the question that will run through every episode to come: when did you fall in love with the game? And what were you really falling in love with?What t
