Tom Brady's Secret Power, Something in Common

Courtesy Gisele Bundchen Super Bowl 2021

1 Kindness Quote:

We are made kind by being kind. ~ Eric Hoffer

1 Gratitude Thought:

Maybe I can’t relate to being the GOAT. But I can relate to being kind.

1 Kindness Habit Idea…backed by science 🧪:

I think most of us would like to know the secret to success. Is it just hard work? Is it luck? Is it who you know? Research says, it’s kindness.

According to the Harvard Business Review, “Practicing kindness by giving compliments and recognition has the power to transform our workplace.”

Want to control how people perceive you? Be kind. Or maybe you want to feel better about yourself, have a more positive outlook and just be generally happier. Yup. You guessed it. Be kind. Kindness gives you a lot of power. You can create an entire culture of generosity…. because when you give kindness to someone they tend to pay it forward to another person.

You’ve probably heard the saying, “Who you know matters.” Well, that’s true. But it’s only true when the people on your ‘Who’s Who’ list are people who respect and trust you. Guess how that happens. Kindness! When you are kind, you create a lasting, positive impression.

“People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.”

And you’ve probably heard the expression, ‘Nice guys finish last.’ Turns out, that’s not really true. Kind people…. those who show respect, empathy, and compassion…. make the best leaders. That doesn’t mean they are milk toast…. they still lead with accountability, but they also treat others with kindness.

There’s a lot to be said for hard work, luck and perseverance. But if you really want to create your own culture of success, add kindness to everything you do.

1 Kindness Story:

Secret power

Shhhh. Tom Brady has a secret power.  And I’m convinced his secret power is what helped make him the GOAT in NFL history. 

Although no one would dispute his athletic ability, there were 198 players drafted ahead of Brady in the 2000 NFL draft…. and most 6th round picks don’t stick.  And nine years later his career nearly ended with an ACL injury. 🏈

But somehow he went on to win 7 Super Bowls; he married a famous super model, and he has been featured in GQ, commercials and movies.

7 Clues to Tom Brady’s Secret Power

In the spirit of not keeping this all to myself, here are seven clues to Tom Brady’s secret power.  Can you figure out what it is?

• John Kirby, Brady’s favorite receiver in high school said of Brady, “He was always motivational, not negative.  He never yelled or blamed.”

• In 2016 Calvin Riley was shot and killed at a park near his home. He was a junior college baseball player who was an alum of Brady’s high school.  Brady sent a 2 page, handwritten letter to his grieving parents.  Brady has a history of sending hand written notes to players and staff, telling them how much he appreciates them. 

• In 2019, as Brady was getting ready to leave the Patriots, journalist Mark Reiss, who had covered Brady’s career with the Patriots for 20 years, said the thing that he would remember Brady the most for was…. Kindness. 

• In 2020 a young 9 year old was diagnosed with brain cancer.  His hero?  Tom Brady.  Tom sent young Noah a video of support and encouragement and, a year later, he met him at the Buc’s stadium and gave him a ball cap. 

• In January, 2021 Brady surprised a young high school athlete who had been paralyzed in an auto accident, with a video commending him for being an inspiration to others.

• We probably all remember Antonio Brown’s antics with the Buccaneers.  Yet Brady continued to say that Brown should receive compassion and empathy in order to help him.   

• When Tom Brady retired, his former coach, Bill Belichick (who is famous for his cryptic, three word answers to the press) said,

“Tom was professional on and off the field, and carried himself with class, integrity, and kindness. I thank Tom for his relentless pursuit of excellence and positive impact on me and the New England Patriots for 20 years." 

After his 2021 Super Bowl win, his wife, Gisele, spoke of him with these phrases…. Tom “took the time to know and support his teammates” and he “worked with his new coaches with respect and grace.”

I can’t really relate to what it must be like to be called the GOAT in the NFL (although I have been called other things… 😁). But I can relate to Tom Brady’s secret power. I think we all can.

Tom Brady is leaving a legacy.  It’s because of his secret power. Do you know what it is? Click on the 💭 comment bubble below and leave your answer. Don’t leave me in suspense! (And be sure to click the heart icon 🤍 if you enjoyed this post - it’s a way to show me a little kindness!)

Visit Our Kindness Library

Want a little more kindness in your life? You can visit our library of articles by clicking here! Enjoy!

May your week be filled with kindness. 💜

Check out our Gift and Book Program

Kindness Magnet launched in April, 2021 and has become tremendously popular. I guess we all need more kindness in this world! A great way to practice a little generosity is through our Gift and Book Program. I hope you’ll check it out! 100% goes to support those in need. Yup. 100%. 😊