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MESSAGE #1473 5 P’S
Recently, I asked the gold glove, all-star, world champion, Yankee great, Bernie Williams what the secret to performing under pressure was. His response? Preparation.
Here’s my take on it…
Remember the 5 P’s
1. Prior
2. Preparation
3. Prevents
4. Poor
5. Performance
MESSAGE #1470 REACTIONS
We all want positive outcomes in life, from sports to sales to school. And most of us strongly dislike negative outcomes, but the truth is, there are no negative outcomes. We choose whether we win or we lose. It’s our reactions, and our responses that create our results. Let me put it another way…
E + R = O
Event plus Response equals Outcome.
MESSAGE #1461 A MESSAGE FROM SUGAR RAY
My ambition is not to be just a good fighter. I want to be great, something special.
-Sugar Ray Leonard
HOW GOOD DO YOU WANT TO BE?
MESSAGE #1460 SECRET EQUATION
Remember this secret equation for peak performance…
E + R = O
Event + Response = Outcome
Much of success comes from our reactions in situations. If you lose a point or miss a shot, much of the time, it’s your reaction that will determine your results. Will you think a negative thought or a productive thought? Will you get frustrated or fascinated?
A friend of mine who plays in the Yankees organization once said that sometimes you may only have 70 percent of your game, but if you use 100 percent of that 70 percent, you can still win. The key is your response, or adjustments towards the event/situation.
We don’t have control over many of the events that occur, but we have total control over our response. As a result, we will have more favorable outcomes.
MESSAGE #1458 THE CAPTAIN
“It’s not that difficult to run; to give it 100 percent, it’s effort. You don’t have to have talent to give effort.”—Derek Jeter
MESSAGE #1452 HANG ON
A big part of sports (and life) is persistence. Hanging on.
When I gave my recent talk at TEDxPrincetonLibrary, I talked about the word “hope” being an acronym—Hold On Possibilities Exist.
What do most people do when adversity strikes?
They give up.
Do you know what the great ones do?
They hang on until they catch on.
They get fascinated instead of frustrated.
They get intrigued instead of irritated.
If you stick with it when times are tough, you will most likely come out on top.
Why? Because not many people will be left.
If you do what everyone else does, you’ll get what everyone else gets.
Be great today.
MESSAGE #1441 CHOP WOOD, CARRY WATER
Today’s message is especially dedicated to my grandmother, Fung Shee Pan, who turned 105 years young yesterday. Happy Birthday!
My grandmother is Buddhist and I think that is part of her secret to longevity.
Today, you will learn her secret.
Some say much of sports psychology came from Eastern philosophy. Recently, I was reading a great book by former professional baseball player, Shawn Green, “The Way of Baseball.” In the book, Green talks about how meditation and Zen helped him become one of the best hitters in his era.
Green mentioned the following Zen saying:
“Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water; after enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.”
It’s not about what you do, it’s all about how you do it.
Are you fully engaged when you are working, practicing, studying, eating, etc?
Most are not.
Staying present is key to peak performance, satisfaction and improvement. Unfortunately, in today’s world of televisions, iPods, iPads, XBox and iPhones, it is easy to get distracted.
Whether you want to become like Shawn Green or my 105 year old grandmother, practicing meditation can help you perform better, live fully and live longer.
Try my meditation from yesterday’s message to get you on the path (click HERE).
Ed Tseng
Director of Mental Conditioning
Monroe Sports Center
609.558.1077
MESSAGE #1440 THE TIME IS NOW
Recently I created a type of meditation called, the “Now” Meditation, inspired after talking mental toughness with a former New York Yankee. Here it is:
1. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths (in through the nose for four seconds, out through the nose for four seconds).
2. Clear your mind from thoughts and external distractions by repeating the word, “now,” bringing you to the present moment.
3. Your mind may wander, this is normal. When this happens, just accept the thought or distraction and go back to focusing on the word, “now.”
One of the keys to sports success is relaxing under pressure. With the “Now” Meditation, you will be able to relax any time, any where, whether it is before a competition, test, or presentation. Kung-fu masters use something similar called xi sui to keep a clear mind.
With practice, this meditation will also help YOU become more focused, relaxed and able to do your best when it means the most.
Practicing the “now” meditation only takes a few minutes, so there’s no excuse not to do it, even on holidays.
Speaking of holidays…
Happy Fourth of July!
Ed Tseng
Director of Mental Conditioning
Monroe Sports Center
609.558.1077