Many athletes believe that they should be self-critical and hard on themselves to reach their full potential. Yet, what if an opposite perspective, focused on self-compassion, would actually be much more conducive to flourishing and meaningful experiences in sport? These and other questions are explored in this episode with Dr Leah Ferguson. Questions explored in this podcast include: - What is self-compassion and how is it different from self-esteem? - What is eudaimonic well-being? How is meaning related to that? - Is sport culture resistant to self-compassion? Should we talk about it with a different language? Dr Leah Ferguson is an Associate Professor at University of Saskatchewan. Her research areas include sport psychology and indigenous people’s wellness; the latter topic will be explored in the 2nd part of the podcast. Research discussed in this episode includes: Exploring self-compassion and eudaimonic well-being in young women athletes Self-compassion and eudaimonic well-being during emotionally difficult times in sport