The Summit Center
for Ideal Performance Blog
When Doctors Say There’s Nothing You Can Do: The Power of the Mind in Healing
Recently, my doctor told me something that stopped me cold. He said I would never bring my blood sugar down without insulin—and that it would only get worse with age. In general, I would say I am a goal-oriented and self-reliant person and have been since I was five years old when I declared to my parents: “Leave me alone, I’ll do it myself!” But for a day or two after this demoralization in the doctor’s office, I cried a lot and lacked belief in myself to improve my well-being, especially after being told that this refusal to follow orders would increase my risk of vison loss and amputation down the road, or worse.
Olympic Athletes Use Mental Rehearsal—Here’s How You Can Too
On Sunday, February 22, the 2026 Olympics ended with Team USA setting a team record for the most gold medals in a single Winter Games. Their success was capped off with both the women’s and men’s hockey teams winning gold in thrilling overtime victories.
Federica Brignone’s Olympic Comeback: Mind, Body, and Spirit on the Slopes
Watching the Olympics on TV gives me inspiration to work hard to do my best, no matter the adversity. Federica Brignone an alpine skiing champion at 35, has shown me that there are thrills of victory and the agonies of defeat that come hand-in-hand with usually more...
Who Will Tell the Truth Now? The Crisis Facing American Journalism
As a reader of the Washington Post, I was saddened by the news of February 5, 2026 that one-third of its staff was eliminated, including its sports section, several foreign bureaus, and its books coverage in a widespread purge that struck harsh blow to journalism and to its legendary brand. Martin Baron, the Post’s first editor under its current owner, Jeff Bezos, called this action “a case study in near-instant, self-inflicted brand destruction.”
Why So Many 2026 Golden Globe Films Focused on Childhood Trauma and Adversity
Top Left: Viola Davis, Academy Award for Fences, Triple Crown of Acting winner-Oscar, Emmy, Tony Awards. Top Right: Alex Gregory, Co-Creator/Writer/Producer for hit shows: Veep, White House Plumber, and The Studio. Bottom Left: Gabe Rotter, Creator of the Netflix...
Transforming Trauma: How The City of Joy Model Heals and Empowers Communities
During the holiday season of promoting joy and peace into the New Year, there is good news. I find a glimmer of hope for women and girls who live many miles from my home in New Jersey. To my surprise, it makes me feel good to learn that there is such a thing as the...
Move More, Think Better: How Physical Activity Rewires Your Brain at Any Age
During this time of the holiday season, some of us begin to begin again thinking about our New Year’s resolution on a quest for self-improvement. What will the focus be this year? Weight regulation? Stress reduction? Improvement of mood? Bringing more optimism into...
How Thanksgiving Memories Shape Us: A Personal Story Amid 2025 Food Insecurity
Some food experts are calling Thanksgiving 2025 the most food-insecure holiday in recent US history. The contributing factors are rising food prices and reduced government benefits that are making it more challenging for many low-income families to afford holiday...
Cuts to SNAP Are Here: What States, Families and Food Banks Are Doing Now
In view of the everchanging and confusing landscape where the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is in jeopardy, states braced themselves for a freeze on federal funding starting November 1, 2025, amid a protracted US government shutdown. States like...
Protect Your Child’s Brain: The New Science of Concussion Prevention
The shooting at the National Football League headquarters on Park Avenue in New York City on July 28, 2025, left four dead and one injured by the shooter, Shane Tamura, 27. He wrote tht he had the intent to kill and claimed that he acquired Chronic Traumatic...
Autism Epidemic or Overdiagnosis? Experts Clash on the Truth
On October 15, 2024, Isabella Backman reported on an article in Molecular Psychiatry about a key brain difference linked to autism that was found for the first time in living people. PET scans revealed that the brains of adults with autism have fewer synapses than...
He Died of Diphtheria in His Sleep: Why We Still Need Vaccines Today
On March 13, 2025, Elena Conis, medical historian, wrote that of the more than 200 Americans infected by a measles outbreak in Texas and beyond, most were unvaccinated, including a 6-year-old child who died. For some of us who have experienced childhood diseases, such...
10 Resilience-Building Mindset Tips for Teen Academic Success
Back-to-School or Not? Every year in August, we as parents and teachers begin the ritual of preparing our teens for going back to school. Usually this entails purchasing school supplies, new shoes to accommodate the growth of their feet, setting up rules for safe...
NFL Shootings: Exploring the Triple Threat of CTE, Mental Health, and Gun Violence
Adapted from: Wrestling Through Adversity Another scene of horrific gun violence took place on Monday, July 28, 2025, in a building that houses the National Football League (NFL) on Park Avenue—a street known for the rich and famous in NYC. The shooter, Shane Tamura,...
FDA Hormone Therapy Warning Sparks Backlash: Is Menopause Treatment Safe or Risky?
There is much controversy over women’s natural occurrence of menopause at the average age of 51 and what they should do to abate symptoms such as hot flashes and mood swings. It probably dates back to Eve in the Garden of Eden. Although the Bible states that Adam...
Youth Sports and Mental Health: What Every Parent Must Know in 2025
Adapted from: Wrestling Through Adversity This is the sixth blog that addresses the content of my free e-book, “Unlocking Your Child’s Potential: Six Game-Changing Points for Sports Success.” It aims at promoting mental health and well-being through youth sports, if...
Why Fun Is the Secret to Youth Sports Success
This is the fifth blog that addresses the content of my free e-book, “Unlocking Your Child’s Potential: Six-Game Changing Points for Sports Success.” It aims at helping children to have fun and to use their innate Mind Power for sports success with parental guidance....
How Unhealed Trauma Sabotages Parenting—and What You Can Do About It
Adapted from: Wrestling Through Adversity This is the fourth blog that addresses the content of my free e-book, “Unlocking Your Child’s Potential: Six Game-Changing Points for Sports Success.” It aims at showing parents the need for self-awareness and for releasing...
Listening is Leading: How Kids Show Parents to Succeed in Sports and Life
Adapted from: Wrestling Through Adversity This is the third blog that addresses the content of my free e-book, “Unlocking Your Child’s Potential: Six Game-Changing Points for Sports Success.” It aims at showing us how our kids, by their words and actions, teach us how...
Parenting in Youth Sports: Why Empathy Is the Ultimate Game Changer
Adapted from: Wrestling Through Adversity This is the second blog that addresses the content of my free e-book, “Unlocking Your Child’s Potential: Six Game-Changing Points for Sports Success. It aims at assisting you as parents to put yourself in your children’s shoes...