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MESSAGE #1252 THIS IS COURAGE

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Courage is not the absence of fear-it’s inspiring others to move beyond it.
-NELSON MANDELA

Fear is part of sports…and life. Let me share with you a secret:

Winners and losers feel the same feelings.

The difference is in the action they take.

Before the Super Bowl, the US Open, and World Series, the athletes are nervous. Some players even get sick in the locker room before the game.

But once the competition begins, they don’t ACT nervous. They move beyond their feelings.

That’s courage.

That’s mental toughness.

And you can do the same.

MESSAGE #1240 WINNING MINDSET

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Practice like you are the worst player.

Compete like you are the best player.

Work hard in practice.

Stay loose in competition.

MESSAGE #1238 A MESSAGE FROM JOHN LENNON

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When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy.’ They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.
-JOHN LENNON

People don’t sing to get to the end of the song.

Athletes don’t play to get to the end of the competition.

You shouldn’t “live for” the weekends or your vacations.

Enjoy the process of singing, playing your sport or everyday life, in general.

The more you savor each and every thing you do, the happier you will be…and the better results you will get.

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 #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 #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 #1218 IMPROVEMENT

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Players get better after their coach gets better.

Students get better after their teacher gets better.

Employees get better after their manager gets better.

Many coaches, teachers and managers wonder why their players, students and employees are not getting optimal results.

But it’s not about the players, students or employees.

It’s about the coaches, teachers and managers.

So what can you do?

1. Lead by example. Others will follow.
2. Show your passion. It will be contagious.
3. Respect EVERYONE. We are all equal.
4. Strive for constant improvement. We can always improve our craft.
5. Develop a TEAM-first mentality. The great ones know individual goals come second.