High Performance Mindset for Athletes

My friend and local Torrey Pines football legend Marty Graham is full of passion for inspiring kids to achieve through sports. When he asked me to be a Speaker at his Sports Performance Camp I absolutely said, “Yes!”  

PURPOSE

My purpose is always to encourage courage. Whether it's in sports, taking business risks to put yourself out there or changing health habits, courage always plays an integral role in upleveling yourself. In this talk, I told my story of courage. Watch the video. 

If you had more COURAGE, what would change in your life? Take a moment to think about that before reading on.

I knew I had to capture and hold the attention of kids, some of which were barely twelve, so keeping my talk interactive and fun was key. I asked for four volunteers. The kid's collaboration inspired me!  I asked them to play these parts.

The brain, the body, the emotions, and the mind. 

I explained...

The Brain

The brain is smart as a whip! Yet, our own brain can sometimes tell us we’re not good enough, or that we don’t have the confidence to do something we’re dreaming of. So, the mind must override the brain. When your brain is stuck in thought loops that are negative, tap into the power of the mind. 

The Body

The body is our vessel in which to act out or carry out all of our actions. It feels! It manifests health and it manifests dis-ease based on what's happening internally. Your body is always listening to your brain (thoughts). Repeated stresses and emotional thought-loops can manifest in the stomach as “stuckness” in the gut, or “tightness” in the chest, or “lethargy” in the body from low vibe emotions. The body is a feeling vessel, so what it feels influences what you think about. 

The Emotions

Your emotions have the ability to change your experience of a life event. What you aren't always prepared for when you set a personal goal, is your inner emotional environment that changes daily, hourly or even minute by minute. When you are about to take a huge risk in a business deal, your emotions are flared and may cause you to second guess yourself. Playing an important game, emotions can run high so having clarity of mind to make the right decisions is really important. A golfer for instance, when the pressure is on, the player must channel the right emotions to clearly execute his skill. So, managing emotions is a very powerful skillset for the brain and body to do their best.

How do you do that?

BE THE MIND

The mind is the real power. It can play the part of the observer and help the brain, the body and the emotions work together, in your favor.

I asked the kids, "What happens when you experience self-doubt?"

The kids shared...

"Your body is weak. No energy. Your body language is droopy. Head down. Emotions are sad, or in fear.

"What happens when you experience COURAGE?" I asked. 

"Your body has energy. Your body language is strong. You feel like you can do anything," they answered. 

"That's right", I said.

Courage is the I Can emotion. (You can watch the interaction with the kids on video on my YouTube channel HERE ) Creating a better life starts with your internal world, managing your thoughts, feelings and actions. By increasing your self-awareness, you are developing tremendous self-leadership skills that positively affect your self-esteem and your bodies performance. For adults, developing this skillset influences the way you communicate with friends and loved ones, even your money decisions.

These concepts are so simple, a ten-year-old can grasp them. Yet, many adults cause themselves years of suffering by not taking leadership of their own mind. They get caught up in the emotional pain of the past and insecurities in the present, and it influences and fogs their decision making. 

3 POWERFUL ACTIONS

What can you turn around in your life by taking charge of your brain, body and emotions? There are three very powerful actions you can take now. 

1- Get good at observing your thoughts versus being pulled into them. 

2- Practice Mindfulness, which means, being present without judgement. 

3- Choose the "I Can" emotion of Courage. Courage is the bridge to all empowered thoughts, feelings and actions. 

I invite you to watch the videos of my MASTER YOUR MIND TALK on my YouTube Channel.