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MESSAGE #1235 JOE MCCARTHY’S TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR SUCCESS IN BASEBALL

Ten Commandments for Success in Baseball
by Joe McCarthy (1949)

1. Nobody ever became a ballplayer by walking after a ball.
2. You will never become a .300 hitter unless you take the bat off your shoulder.
3. An outfielder who throws in back of a runner is locking the barn after the horse is stolen.
4. Keep your head up and you may not have to keep it down.
5. When you start to slide, slide. He who changes his mind may have to change a good leg for a bad one.
6. Do not alibi on bad hops. Anybody can field the good ones.
7. Always run them out. You never can tell.
8. Do not quit.
9. Do not fight too much with the umpires. You cannot expect them to be as perfect as you are.
10. A pitcher who hasn’t control hasn’t anything.

MESSAGE #1231 THIS COULD CHANGE EVERYTHING…

We, as humans, tend to focus more on the things we DON’T have, versus the things we DO have.

Common statements are:

“I don’t have a backhand.”

“I don’t have enough money to pay the bills.”

“I don’t have the iPhone 4.”

One of the best things you can do to become happier and more successful is cultivate gratitude.

Focus on the things you DO have.

Here’s what you do:

1. Make a list. At the top, write, “I am grateful for…”

2. Create three columns.

3. Name the columns, “Things,” “People,” and “Other”

4. In the column of “Things,” write down any material possessions you are thankful for; in the column of “People,” write the names of people you are thankful for; and in the column of “Other,” write down anything that doesn’t fall into the other two categories (i.e., health, job, education).

5. Read your list 4 times a day (after lunch, after dinner, before bed, first thing in the morning).

6. Do this for a week and see if you feel any different.

Let me know your reactions.

What else would you write in the “Other” category?

MESSAGE #1228 WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?


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 #1225 POSITIVE COACHING

MESSAGE #1224 BRUCE LEE 3

“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 #1215 BE HONEST

I once worked at a sports center and on one occasion, there was a tournament which took up many courts, so a small number of clinics were rescheduled. Well, the front desk manager neglected to tell me that one of my classes was not going to run that day, obviously an oversight. But when I mentioned it to him, his response was, “Hmm, maybe you need to spend more time here.”

More time there? I was there six days a week!

I didn’t mind the oversight, but I was shocked that he would blame me for not “spending more time” there. A simple admission and apology would have sufficed.

But some people don’t like to be wrong.

Some people don’t like to admit they made a mistake.

I will tell you this, I lost a lot of respect for that manager.

Am I perfect?

Not even close, but I admit when I’m wrong. I learn from my mistakes.

I have people complain about things that I do.

Do I feel bad?

Of course, but they I make a note of it and improve upon it.

Mistakes are acceptable.

Excuses are not.

MESSAGE #1209 ARE YOU A TEAM PLAYER?

When I was younger, my cousins brainwashed me into liking the Dallas Cowboys. The truth is, I didn’t really enjoy football but they were passionate Cowboy fans, so it rubbed off. To this day I still do not follow football but I can remember Roger Staubach, Tony Dorsett, Randy White, Ed “Too Tall” Jones, and others.

For some reason, the player I remember the most was #12, Roger Staubach. Recently, I hear an amazing story about Roger.

In 1963, while playing football for Navy, Staubach won the Heisman Trophy for being the most outstanding collegiate football player.

After Roger received the award, he went back to Navy and a team meeting was held. As he spoke to his teammates, Roger said that the trophy wasn’t his, it belonged to all of them. He said he would not have won the trophy without them.

And then Staubach proceeded to smash the Heisman Trophy into pieces.

Everyone in the room was stunned.

Staubach walked over to each teammate and handed them a piece of the trophy.

Now that’s a teammate.

And that’s a leader.

MESSAGE #1196 MAKE UP YOUR MIND

When you talk about success, I think it all starts in your mind.

It starts with that little voice inside your head.

And if you’re asking yourself right now, “Do I have a little voice inside my head?”…that’s the voice I’m talking about.

In order to be successful, you need to have the right mindset.

1. You need confidence–believe anything is possible (even if you have to fake it).

2. You need to accept and let go of negative thoughts (yes, they will arise).

3. You need to set goals (specific mastery goals).

4. You need to add value and help others (then you will get what you want).

5. You need to focus on the process (attitude and effort) instead of the product (winning/losing, making the sale, final grade, etc.)

Once you make this paradigm shift, you world will change.

And your results will change.