MESSAGE #1246 A POEM

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If you think you are beaten, you are.
If you think you dare not, you don’t!
If you like to win, but think you can’t,
It’s almost a cinch you won’t.

If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost;
For out in the world we find
Success begins with a fellow’s will;
It’s all in the state of mind.

If you think you are outclassed, you are,
You’ve got to think high to rise,
You’ve got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.

Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man
But sooner or later the man who wins
Is the man who THINKS HE CAN.

MESSAGE #1245

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“The first and best victory is to conquer self.”
-PLATO

Recently, I worked with a young girl and she hated serving. She avoided it. Every time she practiced her serve, she would inevitably expect the worst.

I told her I was optimistic about her serve and that she should be as well. “You get what you focus on,” I told her.

Instead of focusing on how much she hated serving, I just told her to think about her technique and adjustments.

She stuck with it and started getting her serves in. And guess what?

She started smiling.

Had she given up or avoided serving, her serves would still be the same.

She conquered herself and began getting the results she wanted.

My student came up to me after class and said, “Thank you, coach. Today I learned a very important lesson.”

Conquer yourself and the sky is the limit.

MESSAGE #1244

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If you’re trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I’ve had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.
-MICHAEL JORDAN

Failure is part of the process. Some of the most successful people in history have failed the most. When you hit bottom, you need to bounce back up. I don’t believe in trying your best…DO WHATEVER IT TAKES.
-ED TSENG

MESSAGE #1243 BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS…

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The more you sweat in practice, the less you bleed in battle.

MESSAGE #1242 FOCUS

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We choose what we focus on.

Suppose you are winning a tennis match by a score of 5-0, and your opponent then wins the next three games. You start to think that the momentum has switched and that the person on the other side of the net has a chance to win.

STOP!

This type of thinking is normal, however, many people end up losing that set by focusing on the possible loss instead of focusing on HOW they can close it out.

The key is acknowledging that negative little voice inside your head and then moving on. Focusing on the next point. Your strategy. Your footwork.

Is this easier said than done?

Yes and no. Simple…yes. Easy…no. Mental training is just like physical training. You have to work at it.

Here’s an example of how you can shift your focus at any time.

Look around you and find three things that are blue.

Now quickly close your eyes and find something green.

Isn’t it hard to do?

Why?

Because it’s hard to focus on two things at the same time.

You can’t get green when focusing on blue.

You can’t get a win from focusing on a loss.

MESSAGE #1241 A VERY IMPORTANT MESSAGE…

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All you need to know about mental toughness…

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 #1239 MENTAL TOUGHNESS FROM A MONK

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Here is a great short story by an unknown monk from 11 A.D. entitled “I Wanted To Change The World”

When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world.

I found it was difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation.

When I found I couldn’t change the nation, I began to focus on my town. I couldn’t change the town and as an older man, I tried to change my family.

Now, as an old man, I realize the only thing I can change is myself, and suddenly I realize that if long ago I had changed myself, I could have made an impact on my family. My family and I could have made an impact on our town. Their impact could have changed the nation and I could indeed have changed the world.”

Many athletes worry about things that they cannot control, for instance, winning and losing, the weather, their opponents, the umpires, etc.

If you can’t control it, don’t worry about it.

Control the only thing you can…

Yourself.

Your actions.

Your reactions.

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 #1237 MENTAL TOUGHNESS FROM ICE SKATING

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“When I go out on the ice, I just think about my skating. I forget it is a competition.”
-KATARINA WITT

Don’t worry about the situation, or the results. Worry about playing your best game. Do the things that will help you perform at your peak.

It is then that you will win more.

Trust me on this one.