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MESSAGE #1230 THIS IS MORE IMPORTANT

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Life is always throwing curveballs at us.

There will always be situations that are not to our liking.

It could be the economy, the weather, umpires, grumpy co-workers, bad influences, etc.

The situation is not nearly as important as…

OUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS it.

We control our attitudes.

Suppose you are driving and the person behind you begins to tailgate you. They then pull in front of you, and irritated, you tailgate them back.

Doesn’t this make you just as bad as them?

You can’t control if someone tailgates you, but you can control your reaction to them, can’t you?

Absolutely.

Nothing external from you has any control over you, unless you let it.

Don’t let it.

MESSAGE #1229 MARIANO RIVERA

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Today I had the fortunate opportunity to meet one of the most mentally tough athletes in history, Mariano Rivera, closer, New York Yankees.

Teammates have said that Mariano is very humble and is the same person that he was when he played in the minor leagues. I could believe that. He was such a pleasure to speak to and had such a great positive energy about him.

Rivera once said:

“When you start thinking, a lot of things will happen. Emotions take place, and you have to know how to control your emotions. If you don’t control your emotions, your emotions will control your acts, and that’s not good.”

Rivera told me today that during pressure situations, you need to keep your composure.

How does Rivera do it? He focuses on the catcher’s mitt. He acknowledges the pressure, then gets to work.

You may not have Mariano Rivera’s cut fastball, but you can have the same mindset and focus as him.

Starting NOW.

MESSAGE #1228 WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?

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Are you looking for a certain level of success in sports, sales or school?

Is there somewhere you want to get to?

Let me tell you a secret.

It’s not out there.

Success is already inside you.

If you have the right mindset (all-out effort/constant improvement) and have passion for what you do, you are successful.

Set goals, but enjoy the process.

Success is a journey, not a destination.

Success is a marathon, not a sprint.

I recently spoke to a minor league baseball player and asked how his off-season was going, how his workouts were going. He said they were going fine. There wasn’t excitement in his voice. It didn’t sound like he was pushing himself to get to the next level. It almost sounded like he was giving up or that the major leagues was a near impossibility.

All of the successful people in the world have one thing in common–They act successful BEFORE they become successful. That comes from inside. And this is trainable.

There are no limits, you can always improve. Don’t be content. Create your vision. Start taking action.

With this mindset, ANYTHING is possible.

MESSAGE #1226 LEARN FROM GEORGE FOREMAN

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Someone once asked George Foreman, former world heavyweight boxing champion of the world, how he withstood the pain from being a boxer.

Foreman replied:

“If I see what I want real good in my mind, I don’t notice any pain in getting it.”

How does this relate to you?

1. Visualize the athlete, student, or salesperson you want to be.
2. Do whatever it takes to get there. No exceptions.
3. Begin today.

MESSAGE #1225 POSITIVE COACHING

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MESSAGE #1224 BRUCE LEE 3

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“Defeat is a state of mind.
no one is ever defeated
until defeat has been accepted
as a reality.
To me, defeat in anything
is merely temporary,
and its punishment is but an urge
for me to exert greater effort
to achieve my goal.
Defeat simply tells me
that something is wrong in my doing;
it is a path leading to
success and truth.”
-BRUCE LEE

MESSAGE #1223 BRUCE LEE TOO

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As promised, today’s message will include more of Bruce Lee, who would have turned 70 yesterday.

“If you want to learn to swim, jump into the water. On dry land, no frame of mind is going to help you.”
-BRUCE LEE

Think about it. If you learn all the technical and physical aspects of your sport/job, that is good. But you have to put yourself out there to get “tougher.”

In college, you learn theory.

In the real world, you gain experience and first-hand knowledge.

In practice, you learn theory.

In competition, you gain experience and learn how to win.

Most people don’t like to be thrown into pressure situations, but it is there where you learn the most.

It is there where you grow the most.

MESSAGE #1221 KEEP GOING

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With Billie Jean King at my US Open book signing

Champions keep playing until they get it right.
-BILLIE JEAN KING

I once had a student who began playing tournaments. In her first tournament, she lost first round. In the next tournament, she had the same result. And the next, and the next. For practically the first year, she didn’t get past the first round.

I told her, “This is a great way to improve, learn and develop as a player.”

She agreed with me, although she wanted better results. Well, she stuck with it and then started getting results.

She started winning some matches. She got to the 2nd round, then the 3rd and now it is rare if she doesn’t make it to at least the semifinals. She is also on her high school varsity team.

Most people give up too soon. They want immediate results. The great ones persist.

You need to hang on until you catch on.

Winning may feel good temporarily, but you learn more from losses.

The two most important questions you can ask yourself after a game/match/practice session are:

1. On a scale of 1 to 10, how did I play?

2. What can I do differently next time to get to a 10?

Focus on constant improvement and as a by-product, you will win more.

MESSAGE #1220 A THANKSGIVING DAY QUIZ

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Focus is one of the keys to mental toughness. Take this Thanksgiving quiz and see how good your focus is…

1. What always comes at the end of Thanksgiving?

2. Which side of the turkey has the most feathers?

3. If twenty Thanksgiving turkeys told terrible tales, how many “t’s” should there be in all?

4. If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring?

5. What two letters describe your belly before you eat Thanksgiving dinner?

6. About how many feathers do turkeys have?

7. Which state raises the most turkeys?

8. What do you call cranberries that come out of a can?

ANSWERS:

1. “G”

2. The outside

3. None, there are no “t’s” in ALL

4. Pilgrims

5. M, T

6. About 3,500

7. North Carolina, about 45 million

8. Can berries

How did you do?

Thank you to Grandma Laura for sharing this great quiz!

A safe and Happy Thanksgiving to all!