Thursday, April 10, 2008

Message #66 - Pretend You Have an "S" on Your Chest.

Your Not Really Pretending...What You're Really Doing is Visualizing...

There is a Superman inside of all of us...But First we Must Discover Him...and Believe.

The difference between Clark Kent and Superman is their attitude and personality. Clark has one attitude and personality and Superman has another. It is the same with each of us. We all have to first realize we have a Superman inside us and then we must learn to develop and train our Superman.

When a job calls for Superman...Superman must show up. No excuses, it doesn't matter if there's no phone booth around.

This is called our Alter Ego. An alter ego (Latin, "the other I") is a second self, a second personality or persona within a person.

We all know Clark and Superman are the same person but we all know there is another side of Clark...and that is the Superman inside him.

Top athletes refer to this as bringing their "A" game...Well then how do we guarantee ourselves we are bringing our "A" game...That Superman will show up?

"A" games and "Superman performances" are built on practice and training under pressure. What do I mean by this? Train and Practice under pressure to perform at competition levels. Completely simulate the pressure of the competition and put pressure on yourself to perform at your highest levels.

Sometimes the difference between an "A" game and a Superman performance is the extra hours invested in the preparation and training. Just an extra hour a day of training (when others have gone home) for a month adds up to 30 additional hours of training (or studying or whatever).

The best golfer in the world (by a long shot...no one is even close to him) still trains and practices countless hours on the fundamentals of his game, because he knows he must train the "Superman" inside him.

When the day of your "Superman" event arrives could you use an extra 30 hours of preparation to make sure Superman arrives?

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Message # 65 - Logic You're Not Wanted Here!

If Only We Could Have the Faith as a Little Child and Believe in Our Dreams...

Consider These Thoughts from Some Accomplished People:
  • I tell people I'm too stupid to know what's impossible. I have ridiculously large dreams, and half the time they come true. --Debi Thomas, World Figure Skating Champion.

  • Ideals (like Dreams) are like the stars: we never reach them, but like the mariners of the sea, we chart our course by them. --Carl Schurz, Missourt Senator from 1869 to 1875. (blue is my comment)

  • If one advances confidently in the directions of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. --Henry David Thoreau, an American essayist, poet, and practical philosopher.

  • I have had dreams, and I have had nightmares. I overcame the nightmares because of my dreams. --Jonas Salk, an American Biologist and Physician best known for the research and development of the first effective polio vaccine.

  • Everyday is another chance to make your dreams come true. --don't know who said this.

  • Great love and great achievements involve great risk. --this either.

  • Do not follow where the path leads. Rather, go where there is no path and leave a trail. --I like this one.

  • Dreams defy all reason and logic so you don't have to justify them...just believe in them. --Lee Kemp, 3-Time World Champion & Youngest American World Wrestling Champion.

Friday, April 4, 2008

Message #64 - Sometimes You Have to Go To The Deep Water to Catch the Big Fish!

By Staying in the Shallow Water (where it's safe and little risk) You'll Only Catch the Small Fish.
  • Get in the boat and leave the safety and comfort of the shore and go after the Really BIG Fish.

  • The further you go out the deeper the water and the more risk and uncetainty.

  • The further you go out the more doubt and fear of the unknown.

  • Staying on the shore you'll be sure to catch some fish...really small ones though.

  • Are really small ones OK with you? or do you want the really BIG ones?

  • There is no EASY way to learn to do this. The way I learned to swim is the Y instructor made me walk out on the end of the diving board and told me to jump in...when I wouldn't jump in...he came towards me (I though to comfort me cause I was nervous and almost in tears from being scared). Guess what he did...

  • THE SOB THREW ME IN...

  • I thought I had only one option...and that was to get to the side the best way I could...I didn't quite make it and Mr. Clark jumped in and got me out.

  • Guess what Mr. Clark did next...THE SOB MADE ME DO IT AGAIN.

  • This time I was smart enough to jump myself so I could aim for the side and have only a few strokes to get to the side.

  • When your options are removed you FIND A WAY...YOU LEARN QUICK...YOU TRY HARDER...YOU PRAY HARDER (you make all kinds of deals and promises to GOD)...YOU PLAIN AND SIMPLE GET IT DONE!

  • The point is...you must challenge yourself by putting yourself in pressure situations...over and over and over again. Only then will you be putting yourself to the test. Test yourself...see what happens...you might surprise yourself. See my post on "Doing the Impossible".

  • IF YOU WANT TO RUN WITH THE BIG DOGS...YOU HAVE TO LEARN TO PEE IN THE TALL GRASS!!! (don't really know what that means but I heard it once and I kind of liked it).

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Message #63 - The Power Of NOW!

This Very Moment is the Only Thing You Can Really Control. It's Called "RIGHT NOW!" That's it! You only Have Control of THIS MOMENT IN TIME.

  • Obviously YOU can't Change the PAST and YOU can't Predict FUTURE events.

  • You CAN, however, have a Great impact on Future events by what you do RIGHT NOW!

  • OUR LIFE AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW IS A SUM TOTAL OF ALL THE CHOICES, EFFORTS AND ACTIONS WE'VE MADE AT EVERY MOMENT IN TIME OF OUR LIFE!!!

  • Think about everything that's happened to you in your life thus far: the GOOD; the BAD; and the UGLY. Weren't these outcomes directly related to the choices, efforts (or lack there of), and actions YOU'VE made.

  • Even if you got stuck by lighting, isn't it because you choose to be in that place at that time? Everything that happens to us is caused ultimately be what we choose, our actions or our efforts.

  • So think about the GREAT power we have in the NOW. How many times have we done or said something and immediately said "I wish I wouldn't have done that" or "I wish I wouldn't have said that".

  • How many times have we said "I wish I would have studied more so I would have been better prepared for the test I just flunked"; or "I wish I would have _______________________ more so I would have ___________________". You fill in the blanks involving something you wished you would have done. You get the idea.

  • SO PUT YOUR GREATEST THOUGHT, EFFORT AND CONSIDERATION IN WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO "THINK-DO-OR SAY" RIGHT NOW!!!

  • Live in the NOW, because You THAT'S THE ONLY THING YOU CAN CONTROL.

  • Read my post on "You Always Get What You Get"

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Message # 62 - Just How Good Do You Have To Be?

It's Not Good Enough That You Learn Your Craft so Well That You Get It Right Almost All The Time...But That You Learn Your Craft so Well That You Can't Get it Wrong!

I Learned That There's a Big Difference Between the Two From John Taylor, a high school team mate from my alma matter,Chardon High School.

What do I mean by this?:
  • Learning something well enough that we get it right almost all the time still leaves room for mistakes and errors. After all "No Body's Perfect"...Right?...Wrong...You Can BE Perfect!

  • You may say "well isn't that good enough?" Well most people would say that it is good enough. Well this level of proficiency requires a great deal of effort to maintain, because there are let downs in performance every now and then, and it is difficult to manage the highs and lows.

  • When you push beyond mere consistency to the level of perfection is when you become unbeatable.

  • At this level you don't know how to fail (or lose).

  • Your not concerned about whether you will win or lose, succeed or fail...but your focus and attention turns towards how dominate your wins or successes will be.

  • Think of how your attitude would be if you didn't have to worry about, whether or not you were going to win or succeed; but rather all your focus could be concentrated on "how bad am I going to win or succeed".