When I was thinking about what I wanted to call my mental performance business, one word came to my mind: gaman (我慢).  As a fifth generation Japanese American, this word holds a lot of meaning to me.  Gaman is the concept of patiently persevering through hard times.  It is not the absence of pain or tough experiences, but it is the ability to persevere.  It involves not only the behavioral or emotional endurance, but it also involves looking inward and managing or controlling oneself. My great grandparents were incarcerated during WWII and one set of my grandparents were born there, and this word was highly utilized during that period of time.   

While we all love winning, my goal as a mental performance consultant is not necessarily more wins.  It is my goal for people with whom I am working to learn that even when they are not perfect or even when they do not win, their effort, their ability to bounce back, and what they ultimately do with those times is more important.  How can we embody gaman, and acknowledge the difficulty while also learning to use that information to grow and flourish?  Winning is just the cherry on top.   

The logo for Gaman Mentality is a rendition of my family’s mon (family crest).  The four flowers represent the pillars of Gaman Mentality – resilience, authenticity, confidence, and self compassion.  The center circle is you.  If you are ready to learn how to feel confident, be resilient, and show yourself grace along the way, I can’t wait to be a part of your journey.