MESSAGE #1359 IT’S NOT TOO LATE

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Well here I am back in good ole New Jersey, and as wonderful a time I had on my honeymoon in Hawaii, it’s great to be back. I love traveling, but there’s something I love even more—real life.

Most people “live” for their vacations.

Most people “can’t wait” until the weekend.

Why is that?

1. Many people don’t do what they love.
2. Many people don’t cultivate gratitude for what they already have.
3. Many people don’t think success in sports and life is possible.

Some say that I am successful.

I don’t look at myself that way. I look at myself who is doing what he is passionate about, truly wants to make a difference in the world, and believes that anything is possible.

Did you know I failed out of college—twice?!?

Anything is possible if you believe you can achieve. All you have to do is start taking the correct action.

TODAY.

It’s not too late to be what you might have been.

MESSAGE #1354 YOU ARE BAMBOO

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Today I saw some bamboo trees here in Hawaii. I saw traditional bamboo trees, as well as a black bamboo tree.

I love bamboo trees for their beauty; and I love bamboo trees for their metaphorical value.

When you plant bamboo trees, nothing happens for the first four years. But then, in the fifth year, the bamboo tree grows two and a half feet every day for six weeks reaching up to ninety feet.

You, my friend, are a bamboo tree.

You may not see it, but you are germinating right now.

All of the work you are putting into your sport, studies or sales, will soon explode and you will get the results you are looking for. But be patient and persist.

MESSAGE #1353 HAWAIIAN WORD OF THE DAY

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Hawaiian Word of the Day:

Akamai: ah-kah-my
Smart, clever

What does it mean to be smart?

Does it mean having a PhD?

Does it mean getting good grades?

It might, but being akamai to me means taking the right action.

Doing what needs to be done, whether you feel like it or not.

Be akamai today!

MESSAGE #1351 ALOHA!

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Well here I am, steps away from the beach and blogging on my iPad2. I can hear the sounds of the waves crashing down and smell the sweetness that only an island can provide. A tiny green lizard just jumped up on the table.

Now, I am not blogging to make you jealous, I am blogging because I can’t NOT blog.

Let me explain…

I blog every single day. It has gotten to the point that it is more difficult to NOT blog, than it is TO blog.

To put it another way, it’s better to do a little a lot, than a lot a little.

It’s better to blog every day than it is to blog once in a while.

It’s better to study a little bit every day than cram the night before.

It’s better to eat healthy (almost) every day than to diet.

So I will be with you for the next week, from Maui, to keep you motivated and mentally tough, and also because I simply can’t NOT do it.

MESSAGE #1348 MENTAL TOUGHNESS FROM A GOLD MEDALIST

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Here is a brief, but great video I did with gold medal skier, Lindsey Vonn…listen to EVERY word she says…

MESSAGE #1344 SUCCESS ON PURPOSE

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great David and Summer Platt.

Every once in a while I hear a great saying. The most recent one was told to me by one of the top motivational speakers and experts in sports psychology, Rob Gilbert.

During our phone conversation today, he mentioned the phrase, “Success on purpose.”

I really liked that.

Most people either think that success is only attainable by a select few, or that it has to do with luck.

The truth is, that you can create success…on purpose.

“How do you do that, Ed?” you ask?

1. Figure out what you want.

2. Write down specific steps you need to take to get there.

3. Talk to others who have done what you want to do.

4. Learn from their successes and from their failures.

5. Get to work and do whatever it takes.

MESSAGE #1342 NEVER, NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP

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You just can’t beat the person who never gives up.

-BABE RUTH

Do you go all out?

If you’ve been following my blog, you know that I always say, it’s better to go all out and lose than it is to hold back and win. Because when you hold back and win, you are training yourself to hold back.

Most people just do the minimum. So think about it, if you gave your full effort, all the time, whether you felt like it or not, wouldn’t you win more? Wouldn’t you get better results?

Of course you would.

Do the winners always feel like going all out in practice and competition?

No, but they do anyway.

Your actions create your destiny.

What actions are you going to take today?

MESSAGE #1338 YOUR MENTAL DIET

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What are you feeding your brain?

Negative thoughts or positive intentions?

It’s your choice what type of mental diet you have, but be mindful that you will reap what you sow.

I once knew someone who didn’t take chances and who didn’t have high expectations due to the fact that he didn’t want to be disappointed. He was right, he was rarely disappointed, but he also didn’t do much with his life.

Let me tell you a story.

There once was a young man who said, “I want to do great things in this world, and I know I can!”

Then there was an old man who said, “I wish I would have done great things in this world, and I regret that I didn’t.”

End of story. To me, this is the saddest story. Why?

Because it was the same man.

You see, you may be living, but are you ALIVE?

Are you counting the days, or are you making the days count?

Recently, I got a message on Facebook from a young man in Toronto who was determined to help others…after he received his medical degree. I said that he didn’t have to wait to get his degree to make a difference in others’ lives. He could pay someone a sincere compliment. He could volunteer his time to people in need. He could just be a good listener.

So take a look at your goals. And take a look at your mental diet.

Someone once said that the beauty of life is that you need not wait another moment to make a difference in the world.

Yes, I’m talking to YOU.

MESSAGE #1337 LET GO #2…

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Recently, I gave some advice to a young friend of mine, Madison (above). She had a test in school the next day and I told her to just relax while taking it and give it her all. Well, I saw Madison yesterday and asked her how her test went. Her response was, “I got a 100!”

We all want to achieve greatness, but the problem is we often put too much pressure on the results.

The best way to get the best results is…

Not worrying about the results!

Focus instead on staying loose and concentrating on the task at hand.

If you put the time in studying (or practicing), you are ready. Trust the work you put in, take a deep breath and go for it.

When you focus on HOW you can perform well, instead of IF you can perform well, your world changes. Your results change.

Too many people worry about what parents will think or what friends will think…if they perform poorly. This is a recipe for disaster. Don’t worry about the past or the future…the power is in the present. The best performers in the world from athletes to students to business owners, know the secret.

Relax and go all out!

One question at a time. One point at at time. One meeting at a time.

Gandhi put it best…

“Full effort is full victory.”

Thank you, Madison, for reminding me of this very important lesson and inspiring me to be better at everything that I do!

MESSAGE #1336 LET GO

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Learn to let go. That is the key to happiness.
-The Buddha

Learn to let go. That is the key to success.

Thinking too much—Bad.

Putting too much pressure on results—Bad.

Letting go and trusting your game—Good.

You can think during practice, but during competition, just trust your hard work and have fun.

Take a moment and think about a past peak performance you had. Didn’t you play loose? Weren’t you just playing?

The more you can let go, the better your results.