Well, it’s New Year’s Eve and time to say goodbye to 2010 and hello to 2011.
Regardless of what 2010 brought and what 2011 will bring, there is something more important. It is best put by Ralph Waldo Emerson:
What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.
Happy New Year from Game. Set. Life.
1. Act as if it were impossible to fail.
2. Do what needs to be done, whether you feel like it or not.
3. Set goals and do whatever it takes to attain them.
4. Develop a growth mindset.
5. Cultivate gratitude for all that you have in your life.
6. Be a team player.
7. Focus on one thing at a time.
8. Procrastinate procrastination.
9. Make the important thing, the important thing.
10. Go all-out!
Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Nancy Johanson in Phoenix, Arizona.
“Magic is pretty simple: It’s practice, it’s training and it’s experimenting while pushing through the pain to be the best I can be.”
-DAVID BLAINE
Magic is not unlike sports, or life, for that matter.
David Blaine was not “born” to be a magician. He was “trained” to be one. As a young boy, Blaine was intrigued by Houdini. Magic became his passion. Then he got to work. He began training.
Blaine took the time to practice, he trained, he experimented and pushed through the pain.
Whether you’re a tennis player, chef, or business owner, you need to do the same.
Last night I spoke with my good friend Bob Ryland, who was the first black professional tennis player. He was also Arthur Ashe’s hero and coached the Williams sisters. Bob told me that the first time he saw the Williams sisters, he didn’t think they were talented.
But guess what?
They worked hard.
Harder than anybody.
And they got results.
And you can do the same.
Think about the last time you were under pressure.
Perhaps it was during an athletic competition.
Perhaps it was with a deadline at work.
Perhaps it was speaking in front of your class in school.
Physically, how did you react?
If you are like most people, your body tensed up.
How did you perform?
If you are like most people, you didn’t perform at your best.
Now think about the last time you performed effortlessly.
Physically how did you react?
Your body was probably pretty loose.
How did you perform?
Quite well, I’m sure.
A large part of peak performance is staying loose. Focused, but loose.
How do you do it?
Here’s one way:
Think of something funny before you perform.
It could be a joke, a comedy clip or video, maybe even reading from a joke book you carry around with you. And when things get tough, think of that funny thing.
Here’s an exercise: The next time you see a “big game” on television, watch how some of the players react with smiles and laughter.
Then watch what kind of results they get.
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.
I always tell people to go all-out!
In fact, that is usually how I sign my book when people purchase it.
I once told a professional baseball player to go all-out, and he said that that was difficult because it is a long season.
But he didn’t get it.
Going all-out means giving your all during practice and during competition.
But you also have to go all-out when recovering and relaxing.
I like to think that I work hard.
But for the past couple days, I was under the weather and forced myself to rest hard.
And now I feel great.
Work hard, but work smart.
Well, Christmas Day is almost over.
I am a little under the weather, so I spent most of it resting.
Laying in bed, I remembered that I had not blogged yet today.
I didn’t feel like getting up, but I did it anyway.
In my head, I recalled one of my favorite quotes:
“Exceptions shatter dreams.”
I know it’s a holiday.
I know I’m not feeling well.
But I also know that there could be one person out there reading my blog for the first time, and I owe it to them to give it my best.
After all, Lou Gehrig played 2,130 consecutive games for the New York Yankees, all while breaking 17 bones in his hands and suffering many injuries, including concussions.
One day Gehrig got hit on top of the head and was unconscious for five minutes.
Guess what?
The next day, he was in the lineup wearing one of Babe Ruth’s caps that had been cut at the seams so the enormous bump on top of his head could fit in it.
If Lou Gehrig could tough it out, I surely could write a blog entry.
For those of you celebrating…
Christmas is forever, not for just one day,
for loving, sharing, giving, are not to put away
like bells and lights and tinsel, in some box upon a shelf.
The good you do for others is good you do yourself.
-NORMAN W. BROOKS
Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they’ve got a second.
-WILLIAM JAMES
The pain of pushing through goes away.
The pride of going all-out stays forever.
Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great basketball coach, Matt Bloom. In this video blog, Ed talks mental toughness with soccer coach, Toby Stupples.