Message #152 You Never Know…

Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Johh Holliday of the LAPD.

Do you like to stay in your comfort zone?

Did you know that most of what we do on a daily basis is the same as the day before?

Well, I have one thing to tell you: Unless your life if perfect…

DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT! You never know, you might enjoy it.

Today I am going to do something different. I am going to a spa in Western Pennsylvania to bring in the new year. It wasn’t my idea, but I’ll try anything once. I’m sure I will have a good time, but it’s not exactly my “thing.”

The point is, I may love it. Or at the very least, it could be a couple good blog entries.

So get out there and try something different. It could be something you think you’d like or something that someone else wants you to do, but just do it. You never know…

Tomorrow’s blog may be from a hot tub…

Thanks for reading.

Message #151 Distractions

Today’s message is dedicated to the great Ann LoPrinzi.

One of the toughest things to do in sports and life is to perform well with distractions; performing under pressure. Below are some examples…

Pressure from:
-winning
-losing
-your parents
-your coaches
-your teammates
-your opponents
-your boss
-your spouse
-your friends

The list goes on, but the first thing you have to understand is that you will never NOT have distractions or pressure. They are a part of life and to overcome them, you have to have the right mindset.

Focus on the process instead of the product, or outcome. This will help you stay in control, perform better, learn and stay relaxed. It’s called being intense without being tense.

You can also focus on your breathing. Most people take short breaths when they are nervous or under pressure. When you take deep breaths, you naturally calm yourself down.

Put yourself in similar pressure situations. If you get nervous in a tennis match, give a presentation at work. The problem with most people is that they try to run away from pressure situations. The truth of the matter is that it is those exact situations that help you grow the most. The more you put yourself in those situations, the better you will feel and perform. It’s like working out at the gym, it may be a challenge at first, but then you get used to it. However, THEN you need to increase your weight to continue to get results. Your mind is the same way, you need to continue to push yourself in order to keep improving.

So if you’re a student who cannot study with distractions, practice reading with the music or TV on loud or have someone constantly come bother you. This works because THEN, everything else will be easier.

“I am the source of all my emotions. Nothing and no one can change how I feel except me. If I find myself in a reaction to anything, I can change it in a moment.”

Training your mind is just as important as training your body.

Thanks for reading.

Message #150 You Say You Want a Resolution…

Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Cate Efros.

So it’s that time of year again…New Year’s Resolutions. The time of year where people talk about what they want to change in their life and then they do it for a week and then forget about it until the following Dec 31st. Do you even remember what your resolution was last year?

I have a couple thoughts…

1. It doesn’t have to be New Year’s to make a resolution…start today!

2. I can show you how to KEEP your resolution for 365 days. Here’s how…

First, figure out what you want to accomplish, but be specific. Instead of saying you want to be healthier, say you WILL lose 20 pounds by October 13, 2008 at 12pm. Or you can say you will exercise 4x per week at 7am.

Next, write it down on an index card or post it and carry it with you at all times. Read it at least twice a day (first thing in the morning and last thing at night) and when you read it, visualize as if it has already occurred; I mean really FEEL how it would feel if you were already that person. The more you read it, the more powerful it will be.

Then, find an accountability partner who you can either meet with once a week or talk on the phone with on the same day and time each week. It can be a friend, co-worker, family member, anyone willing. This works because you know they will be asking you about your goals, so you are more likely to stick with it.

Finally, get out your checkbook. I want you to write a check out to your accountability partner for $1,000. If you don’t stick to your goals, he/she can cash the check. If you do NOT stick to your resolutions, they will give the check back to you.

This WILL work! But the question is, will you do it?

Thanks for reading.

Message #149 Confidence

Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Nicole Arendt in Sydney, Australia.

What is confidence?

con·fi·dence, ˈkän-fə-dən(t)s, -ˌden(t)s
noun, 14th century
1 a: A feeling or consciousness of one’s powers or of reliance on one’s circumstances (had perfect confidence in her ability to succeed) (met the risk with brash confidence) b: faith or belief that one will act in a right, proper, or effective way (have confidence in a leader)

Have you ever seen a great athlete walk? What do they look like?

They are standing up tall, head high, chest out, shoulders back, almost floating or strutting. Don’t some of them look like they are the greatest thing to walk the earth? I’m sure some of them feel that way, too.

In order to become a great athlete, you NEED that confident mindset and attitude, but there is a fine line. You don’t have to strut around and LOOK like the best thing since sliced bread, but you DO need to at least feel it on the inside.

Sports and life are a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you think you can, you will. If you think you can’t, you won’t. That is why many top business people were former athletes…their confidence carried over to the business world. They LOVE challenges and look at them as part of the “game.”

You need confidence in relationships, too. If you go around thinking you’re not good enough for your mate and that they are going to break up with you, guess what? It’ll probably happen.

Your finances, health/fitness/nutrition, spirituality, academics, and hobbies are all the same.

There is one very important concept you need to understand about confidence…

Start acting confident BEFORE you FEEL confident.

You see, the problem is that most people wait until they do something great to act confidently. It doesn’t work that way; the great ones acted confidently BEFORE they became successful.

Which type do you want to be?

Here are some quotes on confidence…

“I realize that I don’t have limits. Limits are always influences that come from outside, from people who don’t believe in themselves and their abilities. I firmly believe in myself. I know that I can do whatever I want and that I’ll always reach my goals.”

-Madonna, singer and actor

“Whatever I did, I wanted to be the best at it. I remember that moment in The Natural when Robert Redford says, “I just want to walk down the street and have people say, ‘There goes Roy Hobbs, the best there ever was.’ ” So I was talking to my mother one day-this is when I was sixteen or seventeen- and she goes, “Matt, why are you so obsessed with acting?” And I said, “Because someday I want to walk down the street and have people say, “There goes Matt Damon, the best there ever was.”

-Matt Damon, actor, producer, and screenwriter

“History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it.”

-Winston Churchill, former Prime Minister of Great Britain

I haven’t given you homework in a while, so…

Homework: Go out and do something confidently today, especially if it’s something you didn’t have the confidence in, in the past. You may be pleasantly surprised at the results.

Thanks for reading.

Message #148 The BEST Gift of All…

Today’s message is dedicated to the great Jon Tatting in Minnesota.

On a day where everyone is going to return gifts in a sea of anarchy at the stores, here is a gift you WON’T want to return…My gift to you this holiday season…

It doesn’t matter what you do. It doesn’t matter what your conditions are. It doesn’t matter how much money you have. It doesn’t matter what color your skin is. It doesn’t matter if you wear the same clothes that your older sister wore when she was your age and you’re a boy.

What matters is this…

In order to live an extraordinary life, you need to have an extraordinary mindset.

That’s it! There might be others that are bigger, stronger, smarter and better looking than you, but WHO CARES?!@#

See, it’s not about you and them. It’s about you and YOU. Not everyone has gone through the same things as you and not everyone is at the same starting point, so it’s not fair to compare yourself with others. It’s just you and the old you.

“Your past doesn’t equal your future unless you live there.”

All change happens instantly. If you want to quick smoking, quit NOW! If you want to get in better shape, start eating better and exercising NOW!

Don’t wait until New Year’s to make the resolutions you want. Most people don’t stick with their resolutions anyway-Make a lifestyle change.

There is so much knowledge out there and many of us are looking for more. And what I have to say to that is…

STOP!!!

Stop talking and planning so much and START TAKING ACTION!

Don’t wait until you FEEL like taking action to actually do something…it doesn’t work that way.

Can you develop muscle by just going to the gym once? No, you need to do it consistently.

Your “mental” muscles are the same way. You need to work them out by making the right decisions daily, and taking the correct actions, regardless of your feelings.

If you Talk, it’s a Dream
If you Plan, it’s Possible
If you Schedule, it’s REAL

We live in a society of “should”s and “try”s. If you do what everyone else does, you’ll become what everyone else IS.

Do not, I repeat, do NOT let yourself rationalize or negotiate with yourself; IE, “Oh, I’ll quit smoking tomorrow.” or “That can wait til later.”

See, those thoughts make you feel better and therefore make you procrastinate even more. What you need to say is, “THAT’S ENOUGH! I quit smoking! It’s disgusting, people don’t like it, it can cause cancer, it’s affecting my endurance, it makes my clothes stink…NEVER AGAIN!”

At the end of the day, only YOU will know if you won or lost. Only you know if you gave it your all today and made the right decisions. Only you know if you had the right mindset. Only YOU know if you were grateful for another day.

Tomorrow is not promised, enjoy today.

Now go start living the life you imagined.

Thanks for reading.

Message #147 Happy Holidays

This message is dedicated to everyone out there, whether you celebrate Christmas or not.

According to legend, a desert wanderer happened upon a spring of cool, crystal-clear water. The water was so delightful, he decided to bring the king a sample of it. Barely quenching his own thirst, he filled his leather canteen and began his journey in the hot desert sun to the palace.

When he finally reached his destination, the water had become stale because of the old leather container in which it had been stored. The king graciously accepted the gift of his faithful subject. He tasted it with an expression of gratitude and delight, and the wanderer went his way with a joyful heart.

After he had gone, others in the king’s court tasted the putrid water and asked why the king had pretended to enjoy it. “Ah,” responded the king, “it was not the water I tasted, but the spirit in which it was given.”

HAVE A SAFE, HAPPY, AND GRATEFUL HOLIDAY!

Thanks for reading.

Message #146 You Choose…

Photos from “Shelter from the Streets”
Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Jen Koltowski in PA.

Choosing is the single greatest power we possess. By our choices, we create our future. Every action we take originates from a thought and the sum of all your actions makes who you are.

Those people you see in society that are negative or feel sorry for themselves have not used the power of choice, or at least not to their advantage. Those people have not gotten to where they want to be, have not used the power of choice to their advantage.

There is only one person in charge of your mind and that person is you. Therefore, there is only one person that can create your future…you. Certain external situations or events you have no control over, but you DO have control over how you REACT to them.

You choose what you eat, whether it’s healthy or not.

You choose what clothes you buy, whether they’re hip or not.

You choose how you perform in a game/match, whether you are tired or not.

You choose what job you take, whether it’s what you really want to do or not.

You choose what you study in school, whether it’s your passion or not.

So during this holiday season, you can either choose to make the best of them and enjoy them, or you can stress out and complain about them. It’s up to you.

Being part of The Book Bank Foundation’s “Shelter from the Streets” last Thursday showed me that so many of us complain about our families and homes, but there are people out there that don’t even HAVE families and homes.

I saw a man who wasn’t even wearing shoes and had sores on his feet. And YOU are complaining that there’s going to be TOO much food at dinner?

“It is in our times of decision, that our destiny is shaped.”

Remember this formula… S + C = R… Situation plus Choice equals Result

Thanks for reading.

Message #145 It’s All the Same…

Today’s message is especially dedicated to the one and only Free.

Tennis players are just like singers

Singers are just like businessmen

Businessmen are just like chefs

Chefs are just like students

Students are just like parents

Parents are just like the homeless

The homeless are just like CEOs

CEOs are just like artists

Artists need to know the strategy to become a great artist in order to become one; it doesn’t matter what you do, it’s all the same.

Watch the video below and remember that this guy was not born an more gifted than you or me.

Ray Charles Paint Jam

Message #144 Ideas…

Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Kim Smith in Brooklyn.

All great things originate from an idea. Just think about all the amazing things we have around us. We have electricity. We have televisions, computers, couches, sliced bread, shoes, and olive oil gelato at Otto in the City.

Yesterday afternoon around 1:30pm, I boarded the Norwegian Gem Cruise Ship in New York Harbor for a Cruise to Nowhere. Talk about a great idea. We walked onto the ship and it looked like we stepped into a hotel. They had a HUGE TV screen and people playing boxing on the Wii.

The ship had 10 restaurants, a bowling alley, casino, pool, fitness center, theater and more. The theme of the excursion was one night with 4 of the top chefs in NYC and John Legend performing. A cruise in itself is an amazing floating resort, but combine that with phenomenal food and a great musical performance and you’ve got a recipe for an unforgettable evening.

I know many of you dream. And many of you have ideas come into your head often.

But the question is…

Are you going to take ACTION?

If you have a passion for something and an idea that you truly want to make happen, you CAN do it, but you have to take ACTION. I can’t tell you how many ideas I’ve heard in my life and how few of them have actually been acted upon. If you’re waiting for the perfect time to start something, you’re in for a big surprise; that day will never come. You have to take action now.

So next time you have a great idea come into your head, figure out if that is part of your definite purpose in life and then take action. The best way to hit a target is to start shooting and then make the necessary adjustments.

“An ounce of action is worth a pound of theory.”

Thanks for reading.