EXCELLENCE...NOT AN ACT BUT A HABIT

"Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit."

-Aristotle

DISCIPLINE: WHEN NO ONE IS LOOKING

"Discipline is what you do when no ones else is looking! It’s being considerate of the other person. Having good personal habits—you are polite, on time, and take care of business with pride. We must be disciplined as individuals first, and then as a team."

From "The Winners Manual" by Jim Tressel

THE IMPORTANCE OF INFLUENTIAL THOUGHTS

From Rick Warren:

Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts. Proverbs 4:23 (GNT)

The Bible says our thoughts influence our lives. For instance --

My interpretation influences my situation -- It's not what happens to me that matters as much as how I choose to see it. The way I react will determine whether the circumstance makes me better or bitter. I can view everything as an obstacle or an opportunity for growth - a stumbling block or a stepping stone.

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My beliefs influence my behavior -- We always act according to our beliefs, even when those ideas are false. For instance, as a child, if you believed a shadow in your bedroom at night was a monster, your body reacted in fear (adrenaline and jitters) even though it wasn't true. That's why it's so important to make sure you are operating on true information! Your convictions about yourself, about life, and about God influence your conduct.

My self-talk influences my self-esteem - We constantly talk to ourselves. Do you run yourself down with your self-talk? Stop doing that: "As he thinks in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7 NKJV).

GUARD & DEVELOP YOUR CHARACTER

The circumstances amid which you live determines your reputation…the truth you believe determines your character.

Reputation is what you are supposed to be; character is what you are.

Reputation is the photograph; character is the face.

Reputation comes over one from without; character grows up from within.

Reputation is what you have when you come to a new community; character is what you have when you go away.

Your reputation is made in a moment; your character is built in a lifetime.

Your reputation is learned in an hour; your character does not come to light for a year.

Reputation grows like a mushroom; character lasts like eternity.

Reputation makes you rich or makes you poor; character makes you happy or makes you miserable.

Reputation is what men say about you on your tombstone; character is what the angels say about you before the throne of God.

From "Becoming a Person of Influence" by: John C. Maxwell and Jim Dornan

HOW HARD ARE YOU WORKING?!?!

"If every basketball player

worked as hard as I did,

I'd be out of a job."

-Steve Nash

(via Point Guard College)

EYE CONTRACT

"The foremost thing we require from our players, before anything else, is that they make good eye contact...eye contact is a sign."

-Pat Summitt
From "Reach for the Summit"

THE ULTIMATE CHAMPION

"I am a member of a team, and I rely on the team,

I defer to it and sacrifice for it, because the team,

not the individual, is the ultimate champion."

~Mia Hamm

GARRETT KARP'S STORY

Never fail to appreciate the joy of playing -- you never know when it will be gone!

THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE BEST PLAYER

Every team has a best player. Some of these “best players” understand the responsibility that goes with that and others don’t. We have found that those who do have two things in common:

.......... ◦they have earned this designation (not just been given it)
.......... ◦they understand it’s an everyday responsibility

Kevin Garnett made an interesting comment on the bench the other night when he was talking to a teammate about consistency. He said, “an All-Star has to be a pit bull; he has to bring it every night!”

Everyone wants to be Michael Jordan or Paul Pierce or Tim Duncan or Steve Nash, but they don’t want the responsibility that goes with it. What Kevin was saying is being the best is not a one time thing. It is an everyday commitment to excel as a player who gives maximum effort every time he hits the floor. That means every game, every half, every quarter, every minute, every second, and every possession!

And this will be the case for anyone in any field who is — or wants to become — the best. It is a personal commitment that takes incredible daily focus. I encourage you to use Kevin’s statement with the player or players on your team who may be taking this for granted. You can tell them that Kevin not only talks the talk on this but he walks the walk. He understands that being the best requires more!

From Boston Celtic assistant Kevin Eastman

THE GREAT ONES HAVE GREAT WORK ETHIC (PART I)

The first Bulls practice after Jordan made his comeback to basketball in 1995 ended with Michael walking to the baseline on his own, and running windsprints,” described Pat Williams. “Without a word, all eleven of his teammates joined in.”

Somebody asked Jordan, after he won his fifth championship in 1997 why he’d bother to keep playing. “Because,” he said, “I still think I can get better.”

The day after the now-immortalized ‘Sick Game’ in Utah, Jordan spent ninety minutes in the game.

The team would stumble into a hotel on the road at two or three in the morning and sometimes Jordan would want to work out then. Other days, when he had exhausted himself during afternoon practices, he would wake up early and be in the gym by 6 a.m., four hours before the team began regular workouts.

3 TYPES OF BAD ATTITUDE BAGGAGE

From "Attitude is Everything" by Keith Harrell. The key with this list is that all of these focus on things that have yet to happen. In other words, the person with the bad attitude baggage if focusing only on possibilities and not living and working in the now. Do you find yourself guilty of any of these? Make sure you are concentrating on the job at hand -- be concerned only with the process and don't worry about any other possibilities. Here is Harrell's list of 3 types of bad attitude baggage:

........

"If-Only" Baggage
The first piece of bad attitude baggage many people carry around is marked If only. This is baggage that has to do with the past. It is often full of unfinished business, plans that went awry, or hurt feelings that have not healed. It’s heavy stuff. Most of the time it will not fit in the overhead compartment.

"What-Now" Baggage
This emotional baggage is packed under pressure of the present. It is heavy with stress and weighty expectations. It sometimes comes packed with good news as well as bad news, but the person carrying it chooses a negative response rather than a positive one. As a result, otherwise able-bodied men and women become paralyzed.

"What-If" Baggage
The third type of negative emotional baggage people commonly carry around is labeled What-if. It is usually packed with worries about the future, which result when people think about the potential problems ahead rather than the potential opportunities.

GREAT PEOPLE DON'T KNOW HOW TO QUIT

We get a daily inspirational email from Rick Warren and this one is very important for those who want to be successful in any facet of their life. The longer you live, the more you will discover that the key to success will come from your ability to handle defeat and setbacks. Former LSU men's basketball coach Dale Brown used to call hit your FQ -- your failure quotient. He said it was more important than you IQ. Here is what Warren says about you ability to keep pushing forward:

So don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time. Galatians 6:9 (NLT)

There are many things that work to keep us from completing our life-missions. Over the years, I’ve debated whether the worst enemy is procrastination or discouragement. If Satan can’t get us to put off our life missions, then he’ll try to get us to quit altogether.

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The apostle Paul teaches that we need to resist discouragement: “So don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up …” (Galatians 6:9 NLT). Do you ever get tired of doing what’s right? I think we all do. Sometimes it seems easier to do the wrong thing than the right thing.

When we’re discouraged, we become ineffective. When we’re discouraged, we work against our own faith.
.............

When I’m discouraged, I’m saying, “It can’t be done.” That’s the exact opposite of saying, “I know God can do it because he said ….”

..............

Ask yourself these questions:

.............

.....How do I handle failure?

.....When things don’t go my way, do I get grumpy?

.....When things don’t go my way, do I get frustrated?

.....When things don’t go my way, do I start complaining?

.....Do I finish what I start?

.....How would I rate on persistence?

If you’re discouraged, don’t give up without a fight. Nothing worthwhile ever happens without endurance and energy.

When an artist starts to create a sculpture, he has to keep chipping away. He doesn’t hit the chisel with the hammer once, and suddenly all the excess stone falls away revealing a beautiful masterpiece. He keeps hitting it and hitting it, chipping away at the stone.

And that’s true of life, too: Nothing really worthwhile ever comes easy in life. You keep hitting it and going after it, and little-by-little your life becomes a masterpiece of God’s grace.The fact is, great people are really just ordinary people with an extraordinary amount of determination.

Great people don’t know how to quit.

HOW HARD ARE YOU WORKING TODAY?

"Someone might have a germ of talent, but 90% of it is discipline and how you practice it, what you do with it. Instinct won't carry you through the entire journey. It's what you do in the moments between inspiration."

--Cate Blanchett, actress

20 WAYS TO GET MENTALLY TOUGH

1. When you face a setback, think of it as a defining moment that will lead to a future accomplishment.

2. When you encounter adversity, remember, the best don’t just face adversity; they embrace it, knowing it’s not a dead end but a detour to something greater and better.

3. When you face negative people, know that the key to life is to stay positive in the face of negativity, not in the absence of it. After all, everyone will have to overcome negativity to define themselves and create their success.

4. When you face the naysayer’s, remember the people who believed in you and spoke positive words to you.

5. When you face critics, remember to tune them out and focus only on being the best you can be.

6. When you wake up in the morning, take a morning walk of gratitude and prayer. It will create a fertile mind ready for success.

7. When you fear, trust. Let your faith be greater than your doubt.

8. When you fail, find the lesson in it, and then recall a time when you have succeeded.

9. When you head into battle, visualize success.

10. When you are thinking about the past or worrying about the future, instead focus your energy on the present moment. The now is where your power is the greatest.

11. When you want to complain, instead identify a solution.

12. When your own self-doubt crowds your mind, weed it and replace it with positive thoughts and positive self-talk.

13. When you feel distracted, focus on your breathing, observe your surroundings, clear your mind, and get into The Zone. The Zone is not a random event. It can be created.

14. When you feel all is impossible, know that with God all things are possible.

15. When you feel alone, think of all the people who have helped you along the way and who love and support you now.

16. When you feel lost, pray for guidance.

17. When you are tired and drained, remember to never, never, never give up. Finish Strong in everything you do.

18. When you feel like you can’t do it, know that you can do all things through Him who gives you strength.

19. When you feel like your situation is beyond your control, pray and surrender. Focus on what you can control and let go of what you can’t.

20. When you’re in a high-pressure situation and the game is on the line, and everyone is watching you, remember to smile, have fun, and enjoy it. Life is short; you only live once. You have nothing to lose. Seize the moment.


From "Training Camp" by Jon Gordon

NOLAN RYAN: A COMBINATION OF PASSION AND DISCIPLINE

Here is a few excerpts of a great article written by Don Yaeger for SuccessMagazine.com on Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan:

“I came up from small-town Texas,” the Hall of Fame pitcher tells SUCCESS. “And all I knew was to throw as hard as I could for as long as I could. Early in my career in the big leagues, when I would get in trouble I would resort back to that mindset. Finally, after being unsuccessful with that approach—I learned that when I was just throwing hard I was throwing wild and walking guys and losing games—it finally dawned on me. If I didn’t make an adjustment or change, then I was going to be one of those players who was very gifted, but didn’t make a lot out of it. I had to learn to lean on my mind, not just my body.”

Ryan learned a lesson in those early days of his career that he offers to young pitchers and young businesspeople alike when they ask him for tips on how he remained at the very top of the game for so many years.

“It is important to know that to get to the top and to be successful at the top requires two different skill sets,” says Ryan, who today serves as president of the Texas Rangers. “A lot of people get here with the God-given ability, the gift that they received. But to stay here and have a lengthy career takes a commitment to make sacrifices that most won’t continually make. Talent may get you here, but it takes work, real work, to stay here, and it takes development of the mental side of your game to separate yourself on this level.”

Ryan says he also realized that if he couldn’t control his body, he couldn’t control his arm or the baseball. He also had to control the performance anxiety that made him throw harder instead of smarter.

Many young and talented players climb from obscurity to stardom seemingly overnight, then disappear almost as quickly, Ryan says. “There are lots of folks who make it but can’t stay there and it is because they don’t have the discipline required to keep them up there.”

That is just as true, he says, in business as it is in sports. And many of the lessons he’s learned about longevity can be as helpful to a salesman as to a starting pitcher.

“I know it sounds simple, but if you want to be good at something for a long period of time you have to love what you do,” Ryan says. “I mean really love it. And your family has to love it because just doing your job will become a part of your life.”

“I think it is important to have high expectations of yourself and of those around you,” he says. “If you don’t expect to succeed, you won’t.”

One of Ryan’s greatest strengths is his versatility. He has co-written six books and, after retiring from baseball, he teamed with the U.S. government to promote physical fitness. He has held ownership in a bank and a restaurant. Ryan served on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission for six years (1995-2001). His name was frequently mentioned in the news as a potential candidate for a statewide office in Texas, though he has never run in any race. Other interests include cattle ranching and the beef business.

“Just like on the field, I still have a desire to compete in everything I do,” he says. “If you love to compete, your heart will be in whatever you do. That formula worked for me.”

Read the entire article: http://bit.ly/cXnVHC