MESSAGE #1216 ACTION

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to all the great basketball/tennis players, coaches and parents that attended my “Mental Edge” seminar.

In my seminar today, in conjunction with the great Micah Lancaster’s basketball session, I talked about how to get the mental edge in sports and life. I shared some of the mental secrets of the world’s greatest athletes.

One of the keys I stressed was that knowing the mental secrets was not good enough–you need to APPLY them.

Information is nothing without implementation.

Everyone knows what they need to do, but most people don’t do it.

And here’s the secret…

A real champion does what they need to do, when they need to do it, whether they feel like it or not.

You don’t have to feel like a champion to act like a champion. It’s a choice, and it can begin right now.

A special thanks to Brian Klatsky for making “The Mental Edge” possible today.

MESSAGE #1215 BE HONEST

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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 #1213 I FOUND HAPPINESS

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One thing we all look for is happiness.

Happiness may be in the form of sports, business, finances, hobbies, spirituality, school or relationships.

But most people have it all wrong–they think that happiness is something to be found.

The truth is, happiness comes from within.

You may not be the athlete you want to be…YET. It is your choice whether you are happy with where you are. My feeling is that regardless of what level you are, if you strive for constant improvement, work hard, set goals and believe that anything is possible, that is success. And that should make you happy.

You don’t have to be satisfied, but you could (and should) be happy right now. It’s a choice.

MESSAGE #1212 BE PRESENT

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Are you living or are you alive?

I study athletes and most are in their sport, but few are into their sport.

What’s the difference?

Passion.

If you are in your sport, you are participating.

If you are into your sport, you are passionate.

Most athletes focus on the past and future.

The best athletes focus on the present moment.

One of my favorite things to do is mental cross-training.

Physical cross-training is working out your body to make it tougher.

Mental cross-training is working out your mind to make it tougher.

One way to mentally cross-train is to do something new.

It could be trying a new food.

It could be trying a new hobby.

It could be being extremely nice to someone you cannot stand.

See if it makes you more present, alert, alive.

Most people are living, but they’re not alive.

Practice, play and live more mindfully and you may be pleasantly surprised.

This will help you stay in the present moment and that is where greatness lies.

MESSAGE #1211

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Want to be more mentally tough?

You can!

Focus LESS on what you’re feeling on the inside and focus MORE on what you’re doing on the outside.

Your actions change your attitudes.

Your movements change your moods.

Act how you want to feel and you will soon feel how you act. Try it.

MESSAGE #1209 ARE YOU A TEAM PLAYER?

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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 #1207 HOW TOUGH ARE YOU?

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Recently, I was speaking to a friend of mine, Ernie, who played football for Notre Dame in the 1940s. In fact, Ernie spent a whole year eating breakfast at Vince Lombardi’s house.

On November 3, 1945, one of his teammates, Elmer Angsman, a fullback got an elbow right in the mouth. They had leather helmets at the time. Well, after the play, Ernie said that Angsman called time-out, jogged over to the sideline and spit out four teeth (he ended up losing 11 teeth total from the play). Elmer stayed in the game. After the game, the Notre Dame coach walked up to Angsman and said…

“Why did you call a time-out?!?”

That’s being tough.