Episode #303
Leaving a long athletic career can trigger unexpected grief and identity loss as the structure, team, and purpose disappear, requiring intentional reflection to rebuild.
Values over money: Joe chose health and alignment over millions, embraced minimalism, and reset his life by letting go of possessions and exploring.
Practical tools for clarity include questioning your own story, journaling to process in real time, and seeking discomfort/travel to cultivate presence and self-knowledge.
I think journaling really helps process in real time and gets us out of our heads and into our bodies and our hearts.
Football was always something I told myself, it was always something I did, it wasn't who I was.
I think there's something really special about travel that forces you into the present moment, right?
Joe Hawley played Offensive Line in the NFL for 8 seasons with both the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In 2017, after realizing his heart and body just weren’t in it anymore, he decided to walk away. This decision left him feeling a wide array of emotions. Leaving the sport he spent his entire life playing— and without really knowing what to do next— he decided to explore his freedom for the first time.
That’s when he decided to give everything he owned away to charity, bought a van, and hit the road on a trip across the country that completely changed his life. He traveled for almost two years exploring places all over the country; amazing national parks, beautiful scenic roads, and connecting with incredible like-minded people. But the most profound thing that happened to him during the entire experience— he found himself.
Now, he’s on a journey to inspire others to find themselves, through his writing, speaking, and coaching.
He’s the Founder of The Härt Collective, an online community and group coaching program for former athletes, and is currently in the process of writing a book.
