Someone once said, “To do the impossible, you must first see the invisible.” Comedy star Jim Carrey used this idea to reach wealth and fame that seemed impossible for a young man who grew up in poverty. He once wrote himself a check for $10 million, envisioning a day when he would earn that amount […]
“And the impossible dream comes true!” With those words, broadcaster Al Michaels put an exclamation point on the U.S. Olympic hockey team’s gold medal. Now, 35 winters later, that gold medal reminds everyone that what seems to be impossible can actually happen. For the next 17 days, Dr. Rob Gilbert and I will be offering […]
Comedian W.C. Fields, while riding in an air balloon, yelled to the ground to ask, “Is this Kansas City, Kansas?” When told he must be lost, Fields replied, “Kansas City is lost. I am here.” Not many people go through life with the certainty that Fields did. Fear of the unknown and the fear of […]
Why do some people quit while others persevere?
“With Jeter there are no surprises,” says my friend and co-author Dr. Rob Gilbert, a professor of sport psychology at Montclair State University. “He’s like a restaurant chain. You can go anywhere in the world and get the same thing. He’s never made an error off the field. He’s made some on the field, but never off.”
No pain, no gain. You’ve heard it many times. But do you apply it to your own life? Katie Ledecky, 17-year-old swimming champion who looks very much like the next Olympic superstar, does. After smashing her own world record in the women’s 1500-meter freestyle over the weekend, Ledecky referred to what it takes to compete […]
Golf legend Bobby Jones once said, “Golf is played on a six-inch course, namely, the space between your ears.” If that’s true — and it is — then the rest of the golf world better watch out. Rory McIlroy has built a mental game to go with his physical game, and that makes him scary […]
Do you think superstars are destined to be superstars? Or do you think they themselves decided to be? Destined . . . Determined . . . . Devoted Misty Copeland and Michael Strahan were determined and that made all the difference in the world. That’s why they’ve been in the news recently. Copeland, rejected at […]
My friend, mentor and co-author Rob Gilbert is being honored by his school today. Gilbert, a professor of sport psychology at Montclair State University, is receiving the Outstanding Education Practices Award. Gilbert’s life and teaching come down to four words: It is about others. He would rather hear your story than tell his. He’ll talk […]
Years ago, Aesop warned about the dangers of getting complacent. He told the story of the hare and the tortoise, in which the hare raced out to a big lead over the plodding tortoise, decided to take a nap, and woke up just in time to see the tortoise cross the finish line first. Aesop […]