New England Patriots QB Tom Brady and New York Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. are both beloved and despised many NFL fans across the country. They’re both too good. They’re both always in the spotlight. They can both get overly emotional on the field.
And now Beckham wants to be more like Brady by reading The Four Agreements by Don Ruiz, according to the New York Daily News, because Beckham wants to be more mature and composed. Beckham was apparently quoting from the book to the media earlier in June.
So what is this book?
“The Four Agreements, by Don Miguel Ruiz [is a] very spiritual book,” Brady said in a 2008 Esquire interview. “You read it and you just go, Goddamn. You know, how can I be more honest, accept things that don't go as planned? When you try to combat everything, at the end of the day you realize that you're responsible for yourself.”
Brady read the book around the time of SpyGate and when he tore his ACL. The Patriots were cast as the villains of the league and Brady was the right hand of head coach Bill Belichick. Brady used the book to find his inner peace and move forward with his life.
As the title suggests, there are four components to the book and they’re very self-explanatory:
First Agreement: Be Impeccable with your Word
Second Agreement: Don’t Take Anything Personally
Third Agreement: Don’t Make Assumptions
Fourth Agreement: Always Do Your Best
It’s pretty clear how Brady follows these guidelines, too, especially as he navigated through DeflateGate.
“I read a pretty cool book about nine years ago that is kind of a mantra for my life,” Brady told WEEI back in 2015. “One of the mantras in the book is don’t take things personally. It hit me at the right time. It was very relevant at that point in my life, and I read it once a year to reflect and gain a little perspective. It’s served me pretty well.”
Brady was able to play at a high level despite all of the negativity surrounding him because he found his perspective. Even the author, Ruiz, chimed in on Brady’s approach.
“Ruiz writes that people tend to fall into narratives that others create for them, that they’re angry because they’re expected to be angry, aggrieved because most others would be too,” according to Monday Morning Quarterback. “Brady—at least publicly—never blamed Goodell, never let the noise appear to influence him.
‘Brady,’ Ruiz says, ‘has created his own truth.’”
While both SpyGate and DeflateGate are in the past, Brady is still playing with a target on his back. He’s the greatest, he’s old, and everyone is waiting for him to fall back to the pack.
Beckham, on the other hand, is still an ascending 24-year-old player that has been setting records. Can he overcome his perceived immaturity and be the star receiver that the Giants want? I’m sure Brady would be willing to help if Beckham just gives him a call.