MESSAGE #1348 MENTAL TOUGHNESS FROM A GOLD MEDALIST
Here is a brief, but great video I did with gold medal skier, Lindsey Vonn…listen to EVERY word she says…
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MESSAGE #1345 LIGHT A CANDLE
Better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness.
-Chinese proverb
As a coach, I see many players “cursing the darkness.”
“The referee made a terrible call!”
“It was so windy!”
“Why can’t I make a shot today?!?”
The losers in life curse the darkness, or focus on the negatives.
The winners, on the other hand, light a candle (even if it is a small one), and focus on the positives, and the lesson learned.
“I can’t serve!” —Bad
“I am not a good test-taker!” —Bad
“I don’t have any money!” —Bad
“I missed that shot, so what? It’s in the past and I can’t change that, so let’s focus on this point—you’re still in control.” —Good
“Tests are difficult for me, but I am going to relax and trust all the hard work I put into it.” —Good
“Money may be tight, but this is a great excuse for me to think outside the box and creatively make more money—there are many options.” —Good
What you say to yourself affects what type of results you get. You don’t have to win the US Open to think like a winner.
Stop whining, start winning. And the next time adversity hits, don’t curse the darkness, light a candle instead.
MESSAGE #1342 NEVER, NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP
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
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…
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
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.
MESSAGE #1335 NATIONAL CHAMP!
Anthony Robles has just become the NCAA Division 1 National Champion for wrestling. And Anthony Robles has only one leg. Watch this inspiring interview.
MESSAGE #1334 BE LIKE A HALL OF FAMER
Willie Stargell was a left fielder and first baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1962-1982. He is also in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Somebody once asked Stargell what the secret of his success was. Stargell said that all he did was follow the umpire’s advice after the National Anthem.
After the National Anthem, the umpire yells, “Play ball!”
Stargell said, “I don’t work ball. I play ball. I never go to the ball park to work; I always go to play.”
Now don’t get me wrong, you have to work hard, and you have to take it seriously, but you can’t be all work and no play. And you can’t be all play and no work.
When you have fun, you loosen up and play your best.
When you put too much pressure on yourself, you set yourself up for failure.
Do people sing to get to the end of the song? Of course not, they sing because they enjoy singing.
Don’t play the game to get to the end of the game. Enjoy the process.
MESSAGE #1333 ARE YOU JUST GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS?
Cory Arbiso, New York Yankees, Spring Training 2011, Tampa, Florida
Are you just going through the motions in your sport and life?
Do you mindlessly go through practice and wonder why you are not improving?
Do you mindlessly drive your car and find yourself ending up someplace else?
Do you mindlessly speak with people and forget what they say?
This happens all the time.
Recently, I was in Tampa, Florida for Spring Training for the Yankees. I spent some time with pitcher, Cory Arbiso. Cory and I talked about how he mentally prepares for competition.
During pitching drills, instead of just going through the motions, Arbiso uses visualization. Most pitchers just rush through the drills, but Arbiso takes his time and makes the session as realistic as possible. He varies the timing on his delivery and even checks imaginary runners. In his mind, Arbiso imagines the type of pitch he is going to throw and the location, even if there is no ball in his hand.
The more realistic and mindfully you practice, the more you will be able to deliver in competition.
At the professional level, everyone is an elite athlete, but the ones that make it are the ones who slow the game down and master the game between the ears.
MESSAGE #1332 DON’T VACATION HERE!
I love traveling, but there’s one place I will never visit…
Someday Isle.
Ever gone there?
Someday I’ll eat healthier.
Someday I’ll quit smoking.
Someday I’ll work harder.
Many people have paid this place a visit, but if you want to reach your full potential, book another trip.