When you compete you gotta be out for blood. –Team Zannetti Principle
When you’re winning you gotta step on their throat. –Jim Clarke (sales and investing guru and personality)
No Mercy. –John Kreese (Cobra Kai Sensei)
The point illustrated-
Watch as my UPenn professor kicks the crap out of a racist author:
“It is certainly embarrassing to be wrong. It is doubly embarrassing when your own facts prove you wrong. But isn’t it triply embarrassing when, rather than confess the mistake, one is incoherently pushing the disconfirming facts in support of the theory? And isn’t it quadruply embarrassing when the argument that shows the theory to be wrong is included—and with some insistence!—in the book that defends the theory? Finally, not to be uncharitable but the question must be asked: isn’t it quintuply embarrassing when all of this should be transparently obvious?”*
*taken from the theories of Gil-White (Dr. Francisco Gil-White)
This is the intellectual equivalent of how you handle your opponent on the field of play. There's a place for mercy, compassion, and empathy, but it's not in competition. If you are going to look back and regret a loss or a close score, you must kick them while they are down. You gotta be OUT FOR BLOOD!
IOWA WRESTLING ATTITUDE
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Your Success is Your Choice
Your Success is Your Choice
Our whole system is based on 2 premises-
(1) Your success is your choice
I would assume that most people believe that they have the power to influence their own life to some extent, in either direction. That your choice is a powerful thing. And good choices raise the probability of good outcomes, and vice versa with bad decision.
(2) Your choices are made in your mind.
Your body is a very powerful tool, but it is incapable of higher functioning without the mind. Therefore, your choices are made in your mind.
If you accept these two premises then you must accept the conclusion-
Your mind determines your success (or failure)
Does everyone see the connection?
This is deductive reasoning- it is infallible logic.
Put another way for those of you who like Visuals
You----------------------------------------Success
Your Mind
Your Mind is the Bridge to Your Success.
The job of Mental Mastery as you would probably guess, is to help you master your mind. I’m here to turn you into a mastermind.
Remember the key to any self-help system is not someone helping you, but rather about educating you on the tools you can utilize to help yourself.
One of the first lessons I can teach you is to Consider the Source. When making a decision about the accuracy of a claim, it is a good first step to determine if the person making the claim is reputable.
My wrestling coach, the great Donn Ernst always told me that if you are going to learn something, learn from the BEST IN THE WORLD.
So rather than tell you about how important the mind is to your success, I will turn this topic over to the Best athletes and coaches in sports history and see for yourself how their mentality factored into their success.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
“The Secret is to make your mind work for you, not against you.”
(Arnold’s approach to bodybuilding was more mental than physical)
http://www.askmen.com/sports/bodybuilding_60/69_fitness_tip.html
Michael Jordan
Michael's biggest strength was his mental game. Jordan held a decisive mental edge over his opponents throughout his entire career. It was his mental toughness... Jeff Janssen, M.S.
http://www.teamarete.com/ificouldbe.html
Wayne Gretzky
…he (Gretzky) was not very strong physically, but he made up for that in the mental edge he held over opponents.
http://www.lycos.com/info/wayne-gretzky-hockey.html
Tiger Woods
Tiger's biggest club is his mental strength –USA Today
His mental game is every bit as good as his physical game. –Bob May
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/golf/2004-02-10-tiger-toughest_x.htm
there’s another quality even more important than skill. It’s his mind, and that very well could be his greatest weapon.
http://articles.latimes.com/2008/jun/09/sports/sp-mindgame9
Michael Phelps
His strongest asset is relaxing & focusing in competition. He can take himself mentally to a place. That’s what separates him from his competitors. –Coach Bowman
http://video.aol.com/video-detail/bowman-on-phelps-mental-strength/3003143297
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali was a master of psychology…his mental toughness played a great factor in many of his fights. There was no one stronger mentally then Muhammad Ali.
http://greatestofalltime.homestead.com/muhammadali.html
Dan Gable
“Mental Toughness is the key of all keys…Mental Toughness is the foundation.”
http://www.briancain.com/articlesbybriancain/Dan%20Gable%20-%20Brian%20Cain%20CBN.pdf
Coach John Wooden
“I am constantly trying to make players realize the mental side.”
Coach Vince Lombardi
“Mental Toughness is essential for success.”
He was always working on both the minds and bodies of his players. The guy was a beautiful psychologist. – Jerry Kramer (former player)
Coach Bobby Knight
“Mental toughness to physical (toughness) is as 4 is to 1.”
Its very clear how the best in the world feel about the importance of their mentality to their success.
And sports here is just a metaphor for life. The success principles are the same in sports, business, sales, school, etc. The specifics may be different but the principles are the same.
YOUR MIND IS CRUCIAL TO YOUR SUCCESS.
So knowing how important your mindset is to your success…how much time do you spend preparing your mind?
You train your body, but most don’t train their brain. That is a serious mistake.
Most people are not aware of the science behind success. Sport-Performance Psychology and Positive Psychology are fields dedicated to Performance Enhancement, Success, and Happiness. Mental Mastery is Sport-Performance Psychology and Positive Psychology made easy for you, in a simple understandable form.
But Mental Mastery is more than just achieving your goals, though that is a major part of it, but also increasing your happiness and overall well-being.
What good is it if a person gains the whole world, but loses their soul? This is not to be take only in the biblical sense, but in the practical sense as well.
What good is it if you accomplish all your goals, but you are not happy?
Because the two do not always go together – success and happiness. Why are so many movie stars, rock stars, and pro athletes depressed or addicted to substances?
We want you to be both very successful and very happy.
At mental mastery, we teach you how to have your cake and eat it too.
That being said, lets get started.
I want you to get excited about life. I want you to wake up in the morning and say, I cant wait to get started today!
We are in probably the greatest time period in the history of the world.
Luxury Age- the average person in the lower middle class has far more luxuries than most of the richest people in the world of previous centuries- basic things we take for granted like efficient lighting, heat and air, equipment, clothing, etc.
Technology/ Information Age- We have more information available at the click of a mouse or a few punches into our phone than anyone had available to them 30 years ago thanks to the internet and its interactive websites like google, Wikipedia, facebook, youtube, etc.
Freedom Age- Democracy is a freedom Americans take for granted because weve had it for over 200 years. But just imagine if you lived in a communist country that told you what to do and how to do it all the time. You would wish you had the opportunity that falls in front of you this very moment. Freedom is something we take for granted until its gone. We take play for granted as a child until were punished. We take walking for granted until we break our leg. We take our daily living for granted until were wrongly accused for murder and sent to jail like Ruben the hurricane Carter (ok, maybe a little extreme, but you get the point), and sadly we often take life for granted until someone close to us dies or until were given 6 months.
But, why wait until something drastic happens to live like you were dying? Why not start today?
As the great Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz says, you need to ask yourself- If not me, who? If not here, where? If not now, when?
With all these advantages, success is well within your reach RIGHT NOW.
The first step is to success is to take control of your mind. Once you do this you will be well on your way to living your dreams and enjoying your life.
Welcome to what very well could be the most important journey of your life
Our whole system is based on 2 premises-
(1) Your success is your choice
I would assume that most people believe that they have the power to influence their own life to some extent, in either direction. That your choice is a powerful thing. And good choices raise the probability of good outcomes, and vice versa with bad decision.
(2) Your choices are made in your mind.
Your body is a very powerful tool, but it is incapable of higher functioning without the mind. Therefore, your choices are made in your mind.
If you accept these two premises then you must accept the conclusion-
Your mind determines your success (or failure)
Does everyone see the connection?
This is deductive reasoning- it is infallible logic.
Put another way for those of you who like Visuals
You----------------------------------------Success
Your Mind
Your Mind is the Bridge to Your Success.
The job of Mental Mastery as you would probably guess, is to help you master your mind. I’m here to turn you into a mastermind.
Remember the key to any self-help system is not someone helping you, but rather about educating you on the tools you can utilize to help yourself.
One of the first lessons I can teach you is to Consider the Source. When making a decision about the accuracy of a claim, it is a good first step to determine if the person making the claim is reputable.
My wrestling coach, the great Donn Ernst always told me that if you are going to learn something, learn from the BEST IN THE WORLD.
So rather than tell you about how important the mind is to your success, I will turn this topic over to the Best athletes and coaches in sports history and see for yourself how their mentality factored into their success.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
“The Secret is to make your mind work for you, not against you.”
(Arnold’s approach to bodybuilding was more mental than physical)
http://www.askmen.com/sports/bodybuilding_60/69_fitness_tip.html
Michael Jordan
Michael's biggest strength was his mental game. Jordan held a decisive mental edge over his opponents throughout his entire career. It was his mental toughness... Jeff Janssen, M.S.
http://www.teamarete.com/ificouldbe.html
Wayne Gretzky
…he (Gretzky) was not very strong physically, but he made up for that in the mental edge he held over opponents.
http://www.lycos.com/info/wayne-gretzky-hockey.html
Tiger Woods
Tiger's biggest club is his mental strength –USA Today
His mental game is every bit as good as his physical game. –Bob May
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/golf/2004-02-10-tiger-toughest_x.htm
there’s another quality even more important than skill. It’s his mind, and that very well could be his greatest weapon.
http://articles.latimes.com/2008/jun/09/sports/sp-mindgame9
Michael Phelps
His strongest asset is relaxing & focusing in competition. He can take himself mentally to a place. That’s what separates him from his competitors. –Coach Bowman
http://video.aol.com/video-detail/bowman-on-phelps-mental-strength/3003143297
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali was a master of psychology…his mental toughness played a great factor in many of his fights. There was no one stronger mentally then Muhammad Ali.
http://greatestofalltime.homestead.com/muhammadali.html
Dan Gable
“Mental Toughness is the key of all keys…Mental Toughness is the foundation.”
http://www.briancain.com/articlesbybriancain/Dan%20Gable%20-%20Brian%20Cain%20CBN.pdf
Coach John Wooden
“I am constantly trying to make players realize the mental side.”
Coach Vince Lombardi
“Mental Toughness is essential for success.”
He was always working on both the minds and bodies of his players. The guy was a beautiful psychologist. – Jerry Kramer (former player)
Coach Bobby Knight
“Mental toughness to physical (toughness) is as 4 is to 1.”
Its very clear how the best in the world feel about the importance of their mentality to their success.
And sports here is just a metaphor for life. The success principles are the same in sports, business, sales, school, etc. The specifics may be different but the principles are the same.
YOUR MIND IS CRUCIAL TO YOUR SUCCESS.
So knowing how important your mindset is to your success…how much time do you spend preparing your mind?
You train your body, but most don’t train their brain. That is a serious mistake.
Most people are not aware of the science behind success. Sport-Performance Psychology and Positive Psychology are fields dedicated to Performance Enhancement, Success, and Happiness. Mental Mastery is Sport-Performance Psychology and Positive Psychology made easy for you, in a simple understandable form.
But Mental Mastery is more than just achieving your goals, though that is a major part of it, but also increasing your happiness and overall well-being.
What good is it if a person gains the whole world, but loses their soul? This is not to be take only in the biblical sense, but in the practical sense as well.
What good is it if you accomplish all your goals, but you are not happy?
Because the two do not always go together – success and happiness. Why are so many movie stars, rock stars, and pro athletes depressed or addicted to substances?
We want you to be both very successful and very happy.
At mental mastery, we teach you how to have your cake and eat it too.
That being said, lets get started.
I want you to get excited about life. I want you to wake up in the morning and say, I cant wait to get started today!
We are in probably the greatest time period in the history of the world.
Luxury Age- the average person in the lower middle class has far more luxuries than most of the richest people in the world of previous centuries- basic things we take for granted like efficient lighting, heat and air, equipment, clothing, etc.
Technology/ Information Age- We have more information available at the click of a mouse or a few punches into our phone than anyone had available to them 30 years ago thanks to the internet and its interactive websites like google, Wikipedia, facebook, youtube, etc.
Freedom Age- Democracy is a freedom Americans take for granted because weve had it for over 200 years. But just imagine if you lived in a communist country that told you what to do and how to do it all the time. You would wish you had the opportunity that falls in front of you this very moment. Freedom is something we take for granted until its gone. We take play for granted as a child until were punished. We take walking for granted until we break our leg. We take our daily living for granted until were wrongly accused for murder and sent to jail like Ruben the hurricane Carter (ok, maybe a little extreme, but you get the point), and sadly we often take life for granted until someone close to us dies or until were given 6 months.
But, why wait until something drastic happens to live like you were dying? Why not start today?
As the great Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz says, you need to ask yourself- If not me, who? If not here, where? If not now, when?
With all these advantages, success is well within your reach RIGHT NOW.
The first step is to success is to take control of your mind. Once you do this you will be well on your way to living your dreams and enjoying your life.
Welcome to what very well could be the most important journey of your life
GZ Performance Enhancement- Sport Psychology Group
Join Team Z on the official Gene Zannetti GZ Performance Enhancement- Sport Psychology group with lots of great information!
GZ Facebook Group
GZ Facebook Group
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
It Comes Down To Your Mind
People inspect us, dissect us, reject us, cuss us, and disgust us to no avail (Lou Holtz). Why do we take it personally and get angry and upset? The cycle is the same- we perceive a situation or hear someone say something to or about us, or we see them laugh. We then interpret it as an insult. We take it personally. We react or take it and whine on the inside. Notice our perception and interpretation are mental activities. Often people criticize us about things having nothing to do with our mind (we’re weak, we’re overweight, we’re physically slow) yet our mind takes it personally. Why? Unless someone makes fun of our ideas, aptitude, creativity, or decision making it is our body that should take it personally, not our minds. Why does our mind take possession for our body’s shortcomings? Probably because we realize deep down the truth that “it comes down to your mind.” Our weakness or our fatness comes from our lack of discipline and motivation to exercise regularly. Our mind knows consciously or unconsciously that a weakness in physicality is a reflection of some weakness mentally. This is okay, we all have mental weaknesses, we ALL do. First recognize that our deficiencies either begin or become perpetuated in our mind. We may be naturally genetically predisposed to certain deficiencies, but our choices and habits are largely mental. If you are not achieving your goals or are not living your dream, do NOT look for the physical weaknesses or the piece of equipment you're missing or the pill you need to take- LOOK AT YOUR MIND. You will realize this is where the problem is. This is normal, and it is okay, just get started already on working on your mindset. Control your mind and your body will follow.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Pull the Trigger
To sum up Sport/Performance Psychology in a 3 word sentence- Pull the trigger!
This is analogous to the Nike slogan of "Just Do It." However, I like "pull the trigger" because it commands the most attention and includes a sense of urgency.
When it comes right down to it, you are faced with one major decision in life- Am I going to go all out OR am I going to hold back? (thank you Dr. Rob Gilbert) Are you going to make it happen or are you going to sit back and hope it happens? I'm sure anyone reading this does not need to be convinced that the difference between champions in sports and life are the ones who make things happen. Champions pull the trigger.
There are many things that could inhibit someone from pulling the trigger- fear, past experience, over analysis, etc etc. Many people have a misconception that champions do not go through similar mental discomforts- they are just different kinds of people than we are, they say. Well guess what? Champions are human just like anyone else- never subhuman or superhuman, but simply human. They have emotions, doubts, fears, nervousness, and past failures just like anyone else, but they act ANYWAY.
A warrior isn't about perfection or victory or invulnerability, but absolute vulnerability- that's the only true courage. (Peaceful Warrior)
Champions do not let doubts, fears, and past failures cripple them from taking action. Typically, a champion uses "failure" to motivate themselves to take more action. Champions will pull the trigger.
Many do not realize this, but Champions lose more than normal people lose. Why? Because they make more attempts than ordinary people. The difference is that they continue to take action no matter what their outcomes. Surely they use their failures as feedback and thus look honestly at themselves and make modifications when necessary, but they continue to act, they continue to pull the trigger.
Take a look at a few examples of Champions losing more than normal people:
~Few people would think that the hitter who struck out most times in baseball history would be thought of as a good player, much less a baseball hall of famer, Mr. October REGGIE JACKSON.
~Or that the batter who made the most outs ever would also have the most hits- does PETE ROSE ring a bell?
~ Surely the pitcher with the most all time losses would be sent back to the minors. He wouldn't be the pitcher with the most all time wins would he? Would they name the Most Valuable Pitcher the CY YOUNG award?
~You would think the basketball player who missed over 9,000 shots, lost almost 300 games, missed the game winning shot 26 times, and cut from freshman high school team would be MICHAEL JORDAN.
~Just google the "successes and failures of ABRAHAM LINCOLN" if you want to see real adversity and bouncing back from losses!
NJ wrestling great Andrew Flanagan once said that in high school he wrestled in higher divisions in the off-season and thus had a lot of losses. But that made him tougher and was a big contributor to his success. He said, "if you're not losing, your not wrestling good enough competition." You can apply this to any area in life. The Champion seeks the best competition. He goes for the challenge, to test himself. We often tend to compete at the level of our competition. So to raise your level, raise your competition. How many people could have been so much better if they would have chosen to join the pack of lions instead of assuming the lead among wolves. Yeah it may feel good, but which will make you better? Ask yourself that honestly. Is your goal to look good in front of people and feel good? Or is it to get as good as you can (which of course will eventually lead to recognition and good self feelings)?
I love to hear the reasoning when I hear great performers call BS on Sport/Performance Psychology. They say "that stuff" is garbage. I don't think about psychology or anything for that matter. I just do it.
When I hear this I always laugh to myself because theirin lies the master of Performance Psychology. If I had to make a brief list of what Performance Psychology in a nutshell it would be (1)Help person find what they want (2)Get person to take action (3)Get person to step out of their own way (get their mind and body to work together). That's it!
The Champions who call a bluff on Performance Psychology do naturally exactly as they are supposed to (they just do not realize it) - they know what they want, they act, they don't get in their own way by over thinking or negative thinking.
True, some people have it naturally. So it's tempting to say, "you either have it or you don't." Well I say, you have it or you can LEARN IT. Remember the strong rule the weak, but the smart rule the strong (for example humans tame lions, not the reverse). As some people are naturally stronger than others, this is not the end of the story. On the contrary, a person who is naturally strong who never lifts weights can and will lose to the unnatural who makes lifting weights a high priority. There are scientific ways to improve your strength, just as there are scientific ways to improve your mindset.
That's right, this is not chat room discussion. This is a SCIENTIFIC FIELD. A lot of people aren't aware of that. Sport Psychology is a SCIENCE. Many coaches tell athletes to be more confident or to relax. But they never tell them quite how to do it. Probably because they themselves are not aware of how to do so. I'm here to tell you there are techniques and systematic ways to help you get more confident and to relax when you get too nervous. Whether you take advantage of them or not is up to you...
Gene Zannetti
Performance Enhancement Specialist
(908) 337-6143
genezannetti@gmail.com
This is analogous to the Nike slogan of "Just Do It." However, I like "pull the trigger" because it commands the most attention and includes a sense of urgency.
When it comes right down to it, you are faced with one major decision in life- Am I going to go all out OR am I going to hold back? (thank you Dr. Rob Gilbert) Are you going to make it happen or are you going to sit back and hope it happens? I'm sure anyone reading this does not need to be convinced that the difference between champions in sports and life are the ones who make things happen. Champions pull the trigger.
There are many things that could inhibit someone from pulling the trigger- fear, past experience, over analysis, etc etc. Many people have a misconception that champions do not go through similar mental discomforts- they are just different kinds of people than we are, they say. Well guess what? Champions are human just like anyone else- never subhuman or superhuman, but simply human. They have emotions, doubts, fears, nervousness, and past failures just like anyone else, but they act ANYWAY.
A warrior isn't about perfection or victory or invulnerability, but absolute vulnerability- that's the only true courage. (Peaceful Warrior)
Champions do not let doubts, fears, and past failures cripple them from taking action. Typically, a champion uses "failure" to motivate themselves to take more action. Champions will pull the trigger.
Many do not realize this, but Champions lose more than normal people lose. Why? Because they make more attempts than ordinary people. The difference is that they continue to take action no matter what their outcomes. Surely they use their failures as feedback and thus look honestly at themselves and make modifications when necessary, but they continue to act, they continue to pull the trigger.
Take a look at a few examples of Champions losing more than normal people:
~Few people would think that the hitter who struck out most times in baseball history would be thought of as a good player, much less a baseball hall of famer, Mr. October REGGIE JACKSON.
~Or that the batter who made the most outs ever would also have the most hits- does PETE ROSE ring a bell?
~ Surely the pitcher with the most all time losses would be sent back to the minors. He wouldn't be the pitcher with the most all time wins would he? Would they name the Most Valuable Pitcher the CY YOUNG award?
~You would think the basketball player who missed over 9,000 shots, lost almost 300 games, missed the game winning shot 26 times, and cut from freshman high school team would be MICHAEL JORDAN.
~Just google the "successes and failures of ABRAHAM LINCOLN" if you want to see real adversity and bouncing back from losses!
NJ wrestling great Andrew Flanagan once said that in high school he wrestled in higher divisions in the off-season and thus had a lot of losses. But that made him tougher and was a big contributor to his success. He said, "if you're not losing, your not wrestling good enough competition." You can apply this to any area in life. The Champion seeks the best competition. He goes for the challenge, to test himself. We often tend to compete at the level of our competition. So to raise your level, raise your competition. How many people could have been so much better if they would have chosen to join the pack of lions instead of assuming the lead among wolves. Yeah it may feel good, but which will make you better? Ask yourself that honestly. Is your goal to look good in front of people and feel good? Or is it to get as good as you can (which of course will eventually lead to recognition and good self feelings)?
I love to hear the reasoning when I hear great performers call BS on Sport/Performance Psychology. They say "that stuff" is garbage. I don't think about psychology or anything for that matter. I just do it.
When I hear this I always laugh to myself because theirin lies the master of Performance Psychology. If I had to make a brief list of what Performance Psychology in a nutshell it would be (1)Help person find what they want (2)Get person to take action (3)Get person to step out of their own way (get their mind and body to work together). That's it!
The Champions who call a bluff on Performance Psychology do naturally exactly as they are supposed to (they just do not realize it) - they know what they want, they act, they don't get in their own way by over thinking or negative thinking.
True, some people have it naturally. So it's tempting to say, "you either have it or you don't." Well I say, you have it or you can LEARN IT. Remember the strong rule the weak, but the smart rule the strong (for example humans tame lions, not the reverse). As some people are naturally stronger than others, this is not the end of the story. On the contrary, a person who is naturally strong who never lifts weights can and will lose to the unnatural who makes lifting weights a high priority. There are scientific ways to improve your strength, just as there are scientific ways to improve your mindset.
That's right, this is not chat room discussion. This is a SCIENTIFIC FIELD. A lot of people aren't aware of that. Sport Psychology is a SCIENCE. Many coaches tell athletes to be more confident or to relax. But they never tell them quite how to do it. Probably because they themselves are not aware of how to do so. I'm here to tell you there are techniques and systematic ways to help you get more confident and to relax when you get too nervous. Whether you take advantage of them or not is up to you...
Gene Zannetti
Performance Enhancement Specialist
(908) 337-6143
genezannetti@gmail.com
Friday, June 19, 2009
Life is Choice
The longer I live, the more...I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.”
- Charles R. Swindoll
These numbers seem pretty strong. And I am sure these figures severely underestimate sociology and the power of context. I do not know if you can assign accurate numbers, but I am sure life is part what happens to you and part how you react to it.
In other words- Life is Choice.
Life is filled with choices, made up of trade offs which include their own respective consequences, some of which we cannot see, only predict. The consequences in turn shape your life to some extent.
So at the most basic level, your choices affect your life.
My parents always stressed two big concepts to my brothers and I- (1) Always be a good person (2) Always use good common sense.
Both are important!
I've heard it said, "good things happen to good people" and "what goes around comes around." Neither of these are true in a literal sense, all the time. These saying hold up sometimes, but not always.
I have seen many "good" people make bad decisions that have literally ruined their life. Good people who made 1 bad decision, 1 time.
This is not to say that everything you do has life affecting consequences. But the truth is, some choices you make do have THAT big of an impact.
But remember! You do not only have a choice in big matters. You have a choice all the time. The first step to controlling your life is recognizing that you are in control of your life (at least to some degree). Remember life is part what happens to you, but also part how you react to it. How you react to life are your choices. And good decision making is crucial to a happy and successful life.
You have control of your choices. You can choose to be a victim or anything else. (-peaceful warrior).
Realize you can choose to let someone anger, annoy, or upset you or not.
You can choose to eat healthy or not, go all out or hold back, exercise or not, take drugs or not, have unprotected sex or not etc.
All life is a choice. Even reading this right now is a choice. You can choose to do what you want.
This is a very empowering and liberating idea. Imagine living under Communism with no choice at all. You would be dying to come to a Democracy, like you live in, with the options and choices before you right now.
Start appreciating your choice.
Another thing to remember is to only concern yourself with things you have control of. Do not waste time worrying about things you cannot control. This will lead to unnecessary fear, anxiety, and stress.
Your Choice (which includes how you will act) is the only thing you can control. Do not overly concern yourself with other people's decisions and actions, even if they work against you. Just decide what you want to do from this point forward.
The second step to controlling your life is realizing NOW is the moment of power. Now is the time we harvest the crops of the past and plant the seeds for the future. There is power that lies in the past or future. The past does shape where we are now. The future does shape the course of action we will take now. But, the PRESENT is the only time that you can act.
So our first two steps to controlling our life are (1) Recognizing you have a choice and (2) Realizing that Now is the only moment you are capable of acting on your choice.
You can choose to act in the future, but you are only capable of acting in the present. Concern yourself with (1) Your Power of Choice and (2) The Present Moment
- Charles R. Swindoll
These numbers seem pretty strong. And I am sure these figures severely underestimate sociology and the power of context. I do not know if you can assign accurate numbers, but I am sure life is part what happens to you and part how you react to it.
In other words- Life is Choice.
Life is filled with choices, made up of trade offs which include their own respective consequences, some of which we cannot see, only predict. The consequences in turn shape your life to some extent.
So at the most basic level, your choices affect your life.
My parents always stressed two big concepts to my brothers and I- (1) Always be a good person (2) Always use good common sense.
Both are important!
I've heard it said, "good things happen to good people" and "what goes around comes around." Neither of these are true in a literal sense, all the time. These saying hold up sometimes, but not always.
I have seen many "good" people make bad decisions that have literally ruined their life. Good people who made 1 bad decision, 1 time.
This is not to say that everything you do has life affecting consequences. But the truth is, some choices you make do have THAT big of an impact.
But remember! You do not only have a choice in big matters. You have a choice all the time. The first step to controlling your life is recognizing that you are in control of your life (at least to some degree). Remember life is part what happens to you, but also part how you react to it. How you react to life are your choices. And good decision making is crucial to a happy and successful life.
You have control of your choices. You can choose to be a victim or anything else. (-peaceful warrior).
Realize you can choose to let someone anger, annoy, or upset you or not.
You can choose to eat healthy or not, go all out or hold back, exercise or not, take drugs or not, have unprotected sex or not etc.
All life is a choice. Even reading this right now is a choice. You can choose to do what you want.
This is a very empowering and liberating idea. Imagine living under Communism with no choice at all. You would be dying to come to a Democracy, like you live in, with the options and choices before you right now.
Start appreciating your choice.
Another thing to remember is to only concern yourself with things you have control of. Do not waste time worrying about things you cannot control. This will lead to unnecessary fear, anxiety, and stress.
Your Choice (which includes how you will act) is the only thing you can control. Do not overly concern yourself with other people's decisions and actions, even if they work against you. Just decide what you want to do from this point forward.
The second step to controlling your life is realizing NOW is the moment of power. Now is the time we harvest the crops of the past and plant the seeds for the future. There is power that lies in the past or future. The past does shape where we are now. The future does shape the course of action we will take now. But, the PRESENT is the only time that you can act.
So our first two steps to controlling our life are (1) Recognizing you have a choice and (2) Realizing that Now is the only moment you are capable of acting on your choice.
You can choose to act in the future, but you are only capable of acting in the present. Concern yourself with (1) Your Power of Choice and (2) The Present Moment
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