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Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence QUOTES

Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence QUOTES

1 " Mentally tough athletes possess an inner strength. They often play their best when they’re feeling their worst. They don’t make excuses. "

― , Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence

2 " The most successful athletes are self-motivated. “The most important thing is to love your sport,” said Peggy Fleming, the former Olympic figure-skating champion. “Never do it to please someone else—it has to be yours. That is all that will justify the hard work needed to achieve success. "

― , Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence

3 " In the same way you create stress and tension you also can create relaxation. The goal of relaxation training is to teach you how to recognize the early warning signs of tension and to counter or replace them with the sensations of relaxation. Interestingly, one way to relax tense muscles is first to tighten them more. If your shoulders feel like coiled springs, draw them up and squeeze those muscles. Hold the pose for five to ten seconds. Feel the stress and study the sensation. Then release and relax the muscles completely. "

― , Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence

4 " Sports teach us how to persevere. How to deal with adversity. How to become part of a single heartbeat that defines a team. Sports teach lessons in leadership, respect, and courage. "

― , Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence

5 " Pervasiveness. Unlike pessimists who let their doubts and troubles affect every area of their lives, optimists are able to put their problems in a “box” and not let them distract them. "

― , Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence

6 " Athletes in the zone see everything with clarity. They are relaxed, they perform with a quiet mind, with no indecision and no doubts. They can almost anticipate what is going to happen. They are totally absorbed. Golfer Tony Jacklin likened the zone to being in a cocoon. Dave Winfield said, “I’m in my world. "

― , Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence

7 " Some athletes resist fear, or some try to deny fear. Others attempt to conquer it. Athletes should accept fear and recognize it as the body’s way of telling them to become energized. Unmask your fears and face them down. Examine them. “Many times when fear starts to hit me, my best chance of overcoming it lies in facing it squarely and examining it rationally, "

― , Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence

8 " Adversity Quotient author Paul Stoltz compares success with a mountain. Only climbers get to the top. The campers, those who get part of the way up and decide to stay where they are, will never feel as alive or as proud as the climbers. As the philosopher said, it takes courage to grow up and to achieve your full potential. "

― , Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence

9 " Courage. A mentally tough athlete must be willing to take a risk. That’s what peak performers do. In the book Adversity Quotient author Paul Stoltz compares success with a mountain. Only climbers get to the top. The campers, those who get part of the way up and decide to stay where they are, will never feel as alive or as proud as the climbers. As the philosopher said, it takes courage to grow up and to achieve your full potential. "

― , Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence

10 " As Peggy Fleming, the former Olympic champion figure skater, said, the most important thing is to love your sport. Never compete just to please someone else. “You’ve got to love what you’re doing,” hockey great Gordie Howe said. “If you love it, you can overcome any handicap or the soreness or all the aches and pains. "

― , Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence

11 " Cus D’Amato, who trained Mike Tyson, said emotions, particularly anger, are like fire. They can cook your food and keep you warm, or they can burn your house down. Many great athletes use anger in a positive way. Anger motivates them. Anger steels their resolve. It is much better to become angry than to become afraid. "

― , Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence

12 " Be prepared mind, body, and spirit to do battle with everything you have, so when the contest is over you can leave the game behind with no regrets. "

― , Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence

13 " No one can outperform his or her self-image. Athletes with inner excellence, like Tiger Woods, believe in themselves and their abilities. They know how to do within when they’re doing without. Part of responsibility psychology is knowing that no one can take away your self-esteem without your permission. Have the courage to growup and fulfill your potential. "

― , Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence

14 " Which voice do you hear? Which is louder, the negative critic or the positive coach? You can choose to listen to the voice that offers and reinforces positive thought. It has been said that thoughts become words. Words become actions. Actions become habits. Habits become character. Character becomes your destiny. "

― , Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence

15 " Whenever they feel themselves growing anxious, breathe in energy. Breathe out negativity. Breathe in relaxation. Breathe out stress. "

― , Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence

16 " It is Normal to have Chimp outbursts and activity that you will not manage well. Therefore, you should Expect this to happen from time to time. Accept that you are not perfect and this animal is very powerful. Take care of the outburst or activity by appropriate means, such as apologies if you have affected others, or by forgiving yourself if you feel you have let yourself down. "

― , Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence

17 " They’ve got a lot of respect for you. The players like you. They trust you. I’ve heard nothing but good things. "

― , Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence

18 " Less can be more. Sometimes the highest form of action is inaction. Athletes require rest and recovery time. "

― , Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence

19 " Most of the work I do is as a “stretch” and not a “shrink.” I help athletes expand their comfort zone and encourage them to take risks. "

― , Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence

20 " Your future and success
depend upon many things, but mostly they depend upon you. You have the responsibility to shape your life. You are the person who pushes yourself forward or holds yourself back. The power to succeed or fail is yours alone. "

― , Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence