Beating the Odds
Winning the Battle of Thoughts
How do you even begin to talk about Novak Djokovic’s epic victory over Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open final?
It lasted five hours, 53 minutes, nearly as long as the marriage between Kris Humphries and Kim Kardashian.
Both Djokovic and Nadal gave everything they had. At one point, after losing a 31-stroke rally, Djokovic lay prone [...]
The Secret of Feedback
One day Hall of Fame baseball player Ted Williams watched a teammate return to the dugout after striking out.
“Tell me,” Williams said. “When you swung and missed that ball, did your bat go over the ball or under it?”
“What difference does it make,” the teammate wanted to know. “Either way, I struck out.”
It makes all [...]
Keeping Your Eyes on the Dream
“If you have only two pennies left in the world, with the first penny, you should buy rice to feed your family. With the second penny, say the wise Japanese, you should buy a lily. The Japanese understand the importance of dreaming.”
We all love to dream. But we also need to make a living.
It takes [...]
Daily Motivation
A few days ago, a coached reach out to me, said that her team was going through a rough stretch, and asked if I had any wisdom to offer.
I told her I had no wisdom of my own, but that there was plenty in this article from the Gold Medal Squared Web site.
Written by Loyola-Marymount [...]
Previewing Success
Lawrence Tynes did more than kick the New York Giants into the Super Bowl for the second time in his NFL career. He gave an example of a powerful mental technique that anyone can use.
“I imagined this last night,” Tynes said after his 31-yard field goal 7:06 into overtime gave the Giants a 20-17 [...]
Total Commitment
A chicken raced around the barnyard, spreading new good news. “Hooray!” he said. “We’re going to have bacon and eggs for breakfast this morning!” All the animals except the pig shared in the joy. The chicken approached the pig and asked him why he was so solemn when everyone else was so happy.
“For you,” [...]
Four Words for Great Leaders
Want to be a great leader? Your task can be summed up in four words, according to this article in Inc.
Aspire. Plan. Inspire. Execute.
“Great leaders do not aim for the easily achievable,” says the article, written by Matthew Swyers. That’s what he means by “aspire.”
The more lofty your goal, however, the more you need to [...]
Set Yourself on Fire
Years after his retirement, Hall of Fame baseball player Ty Cobb attended an Old Timers’ Day celebration at Yankee Stadium.
A reporter approached Cobb and asked him, “If you were playing in the modern era, what do you suppose your batting average would be?”
Cobb replied, “About .300.”
“Only .300?” said the startled reporter. “You have the highest [...]
Capt. Sullenberger’s Withdrawal
In a town where Babe Ruth, Joe Namath and Willis Reed won championships, no one has ever performed with as much skill under pressure as Sully Sullenberger did three years ago today.
In command of an airliner disabled shortly after taking off from New York’s LaGuardia Airport, Sullenberger put the craft safely into the Hudson River, [...]
Is Today Your Lucky Day?
A wise man once described the difference between superstition and ritual.
Superstition is doing things to avoid something bad. Rituals mean doing certain things to make something good happen.
Superstition involves belief in things beyond your understanding and control. Rituals are a way to organize the things that you can control.
All this comes to mind on Friday [...]
