MESSAGE #808 A SPECIAL DAY…

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I spent the afternoon with some of my heroes yesterday…

My Special Olympics team.

Every time I work with these athletes, I become inspired all over again.

My time with my Special Olympics team is one of my most enjoyable. I learn so much from them – optimism, hard work, dedication, honesty, and character, to say the least.

And I don’t get paid.

Remember what Einstein said – “Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.”

And remember Message #797.

You couldn’t put a price on how rewarding and enjoyable my practice sessions with my special athletes are.

It’s so organic. They’re the real deal. They’re polite and caring. And we can all learn a lot from them.

The one thing we all have in common is our search for happiness.

But guess what?

It’s not in a bigger house. It’s not in a nicer car. It’s not in a new pair of shoes.

Look around today, and tell me if you see it.

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #807 THE BOSS…

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Well, it’s that time of year again…



Bruce Springsteen time.



The Boss is touring all over the tri-state area and one of my students went to see him this past Friday.



Whether you like Bruce’s music or not, there’s no denying that he’s a great performer.



My favorite story about Bruce is from about two years ago….



The New York sports radio, WFAN was talking about Bruce and his concerts right around this time of year. And someone called in and said, “I’ve seen Bruce about 14 times and every time it was an amazing concert. And last year, the person I went with knew Bruce, so we hung out back stage afterwards. Well, while we were backstage, someone went up to Bruce and asked him, ‘How do you do it? Every night you give a great performance.’ “



Bruce replied, “Well, that’s easy…2 things – Number 1…Every night I tell myself that this is the most important concert of my career; and Number 2…It’s only rock and roll.”



What does this mean?



Your effort should be all-out.



Your attitude should be a little relaxed.



It’s only rock and roll.



It’s only tennis.



It’s only work.

Be the Boss of your own life today.

Thanks for reading.


MESSAGE #806

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“You can will something to happen, with your body, with your mind. The mind is that strong. You can say, ‘I want to get this close to the hole.’ That’s where the mind comes in. The mind has to produce positive thinking. All the great players do that.”
-BYRON NELSON

MESSAGE #805 AUTUMN ADRENALINE…

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“If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.”
-BRUCE LEE

The quote above is from Renita Kalhorn’s In the Flow Coaching website. Kalhorn is a Julliard-trained classical pianist with a martial arts black belt and an MBA from INSEAD, one of the top international business schools.

Last night I attended Renita’s Autumn Adrenaline workshop in New York City.

The purpose of the workshop was to “Kick Your Life Into High Gear.” Many of the attendees were looking to improve in areas such as…

-Focus
-Achieving
-Getting more done
-Getting unstuck
-Balancing time

Athletes have the same challenges. Goals are a critical component to success. Kalhorn says that goals keep her life “buzzing.”

According to Kalhorn, the three keys to success are Desire, Action and Energy.

DESIRE
-Find Your Why: Why are you pursuing this goal?
-Visualize: Vividly imagine in your mind yourself achieving this goal
-Feed Your Mind: Place positive images in your mind
-Ask Better Questions: Instead of asking “Why am I not succeeding,” ask instead, “Why am I so successful?”

ACTION
-Think Small: Start small and gain some momentum
-Slip In The Back Way (Virtuous Cycle): Just get started, then you get into it
-Find a Balance Between Challenge and Ability: Hypo stress is when your ability is greater than your challenge. Hyper stress is when your challenge is greater than your ability. And Eustress (Ideal) is when challenge and ability are equal.

ENERGY
-Set Your Intention: Say something like, “Now I am going to…”
-Create Rituals: Develop good habits.
-Rest and Recover: Take a break every 90 minutes.

If this is new to you…Great, take some notes.

I already knew much of what was covered in the workshop, but I still got a lot out of it.

Why?

Because it’s not about doing something once or knowing what to do. It’s doing something consistently. And there are parts of my life that I am working on and last night’s workshop helped inspire me to take different action. Starting today. It was also nice to see someone conduct a workshop and learn new ways to do things.

I conduct similar workshops on my own, but it was still wonderful to participate, learn and stay motivated. I think I just got to another plateau.

Thanks Renita!


Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #804 BE THE CONDUCTOR OF YOUR OWN LIFE…

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Life is a series of problem-solving events.

We cannot avoid problems – we can only choose how we react to them.

The only question I have for you is this…

Are you going to get irritated, or are you going to get intrigued?

The next time you have a challenge on the court, in school, at work, or in a relationship, are you going to get irritated, or are you going to get intrigued?

If you get irritated, you will not perform at a high level, nor will you have satisfaction.

If you get intrigued, you will be curious to figure out ways to overcome the challenge and probably will. Besides, who doesn’t love a challenge?

Recently I attended to a lecture given by Benjamin Zander, conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Zander has a similar way of dealing with problems.

When something doesn’t go well, he throws his arms up in the air and yells, “How fascinating!”

I like that.

Here’s your homework…

When you encounter a problem today, instead of getting irritated by it, get intrigued.

Or you can throw your hands up in the air and yell, “How fascinating!”

People may think you’re strange, so tell them you learned it from Benjamin Zander. I’m joking.

Have a super day everyone…


Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #802 EAT THIS…

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I believe in preventive medicine.

Many people wait until they get sick to take care of themselves.

I know that ever since I’ve become about 80% vegetarian, I have more energy, feel stronger and faster, and have less stress and better mental clarity.

“Americans have been among the first people worldwide to have the luxury of bombarding themselves with nutrient-deficient, high-calorie food, often called empty-calorie or junk food…The number one health problem in the United States is obesity, and if the current trend continues, by the year 2030 all adults in the United States will be obese…This is especially discouraging for the dieter because after spending so much money attempting to lose weight, 95 percent of them gain all the weight back and then add on even more pounds within three years.” (Furhman, J. Eat to Live, p. 15)

Animal protein causes diseases. Plant protein prevents them.

Am I saying you should become a vegetarian? No, it’s your choice. Am I recommending it? You bet. (But first consult your doctor)

I could go on with facts and stats, but instead I will give you some tips and sample meals to try from Eat to Live…

1. Make a salad your main dish, and eat it first.
2. Eat as much fruit as you like.
3. Beans are good for your heart…eat them every day.
4. Eliminate animal and dairy products (or at least cut back drastically).
5. Eat more mushrooms.

BREAKFAST
Oranges
1 cup oatmeal
1 ounce walnuts
1 ounce raisins

LUNCH
Salad-stuffed whole wheat pita with hummus
Fresh fruit

DINNER
Salad with cracked peppercorn dressing
Vegetarian chili
Green apple slices in lime juice

This just an example of a day of eating vegetarian. These powerful meals will energize you, help prevent diseases, help you lose weight and help you perform at a higher level. Try it and let me know your thoughts. If you need any vegetarian or non-vegetarian recipes, email me at

“The best prescription is knowledge.”
– Dr. C. Everett Koop


Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #801 BE LIKE MO…

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“Don’t be well-rounded…be sharp-edged.”

Well, it’s one of my favorite times of year again – the Major League Baseball Postseason. And my New York Yankees are looking to win their first World Series ring since 2000.

I just finished reading the most recent Sports Illustrated article on Yankee closer, Mariano Rivera.

I want you to be like Mo.

He only throws one pitch. And he throws it well – better than anybody.

Many people go through life trying to do everything well. They try to be “well-rounded.”

Would you like to be pretty good at many things, or would you like to be great at one thing? Only you can answer that.

Let me tell you about Mo…

In the postseason, “his 0.77 ERA is the lowest among all pitchers with at least 30 innings. He is the only man in history to get the last out of the World Series three times. No one is close to his record 34 postseason saves.” (Verducci, T. October 2009. Mariano Saves. Sports Illustrated, 46.)

Mariano only throws one pitch.

Well, he throws it 92% of the time.

It’s the cut-fastball, or the “cutter.”

“You know what’s coming, but you know what’s coming in horror movies too. It still gets you,” says former Kansas City Royals first baseman, Mike Sweeney.

And he does it under pressure. How?

Focus. The right mindset. Nothing bothers him.

“My mental approach is simple: Get three outs. As quick as possible. If I can throw three, four pitches, the better it is. I don’t care how I get you out. As long as I get you out. The quicker, the better. And that’s the only thing I have on my mind.”

Rivera is nearly 40 years old and his stats are better now, towards the end of his career.

He takes it seriously because he knows one day he won’t be able to stand on that mound of dirt surrounded by the Merion Bluegrass. He doesn’t go out and party. He believes in taking care of himself.

“I have bad games, but my confidence doesn’t change. Right after the game I will ask, ‘What happened?’ I go through the game. After that, it doesn’t hurt me at all,” says the Yankee closer.

In September, when Rivera blew his first save since April 24, he walked out of the clubhouse enjoying a chocolate ice cream cone.

Win as if you expect it and lose as if you enjoy it.

“I don’t want to second-guess myself when I retire. I want to know that I did everything that I could possibly do for my teammates to give us a chance win. If it didn’t happen, I don’t want it to be because I didn’t give it my best.”

Be like Mo today…


Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #800 DO YOU HEAR THAT??

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“Don’t die with your music still in you.”
-DR. WAYNE DYER

Last night I attended a lecture at Westminster Choir College delivered by Benjamin Zander, conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Zander is a conductor but it’s not about the music – it’s about life. The talk centered around the topic of The Art of Possibility, which is also the title of his best-selling book.

There are two worlds, according to Zander…the downward spiral and radiating possibility.

The downward spiral is a hopeless world of limiting beliefs, while the world of radiating possibility is filled with glorious opportunities.

What determines which world we live in?

The choices we make. Our perceptions of the situations we are in. Here’s a secret – all of us can change what world we live in at any time. And Zander says all life unfolds from that.

“There’s no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing.”

I know something about you…

You don’t like to go outside of your comfort zone.

Read the quote at the top of this message again.

Are you going to die with music still in you?

Are you going to finish a match with shots still left in you?

Go all out.

And know that you have unlimited potential.


Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #799 LOOK INSIDE…AND ALL AROUND YOU

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“All of the ability is already inside you.”
-Rob Gilbert, Ph.D., Professor of Sport Psychology, Montclair State University

Look inside.

Look all around you.

It’s never been easier to succeed. No longer is it about talent. It’s all about having the right strategy and putting in the work.

Look at all of the resources around you – books, DVDs, podcasts, workshops, the internet and more.

You can have your own private pitching coach. Your own private nutritionist. Your own private strength and conditioning coach.

But here’s the kicker…

You have to put in the work.

If you work hard, you will surpass those with talent that do not work hard.

I know what you’re thinking, that it’s not cool to try. But do you want to be cool or do you want to be great?

As you’re working hard, some people may call you a nerd or loser…

But later on, those same people are going to call you…

BOSS.



Thanks for reading.

Don’t forget…tomorrow, Sunday, October 4th at Yogaphoria in New Hope, PA, I will be giving a free workshop with the great Naime Jezzeny on Peak Performance for Athletes. 10am.

MESSAGE #798 THIS DETERMINES SUCCESS…

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From the holykaw.alltop.com site…

Recently, Stanford scientists replicated a classic experiment from the 60s, in which they tested kids’ ability to delay gratification. Researchers gave each child a marshmallow and told them that they would receive a second marshmallow — if they were able to wait until the researcher left and returned.

Two important conclusions were drawn from this work:

1. Kids who were able to delay gratification succeeded more in life.
2. This kind of experiment makes for ADORABLE kid footage. See what I mean, and watch the clip!