A Perfectly Timed Message

Another birthday celebration -- this time in France!

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  I woke up at 2 this morning. Not for a mid-night snack. Not to get up and go to the bathroom. And not for a glass of water.

  For good.

  I didn't plan on it that way, of course. But jet lag is still rearing its ugly head, so my eyes popped open at 2am like it was nothing. After roughly three hours of sleep.

  I turned on the BCS Championship game, and hoped that would entertain me for a while. But after Brent Musburger ever-so-gracefully talked his way into the realm of creeper status, and Alabama scored touchdown after touchdown, I had had enough football.

  I tried sleep again. But to no avail.

  So I flipped on a movie, and thought that might put me to sleep. Nope.

  When it became clear that sleep would escape me the rest of the morning, I started brainstorming. What could I do? Practice isn't until late this evening, so I have ALL day to kill. And when that day began before some had even gone to bed, no question, it was going to be a long day!

  What is the first thing I always do when I have time and energy on my hands? Run!

  I checked the weather. It wasn't too cold, and it wasn't too windy. Even though it was still dark, outside I went!

With Nana and my nieces -- minus one.

  Instead of my usual music playlists, I thought I'd turn on a podcast this go 'round. I had several of  Jillian Michaels' podcasts to catch up on, and I was in the mood to stimulate my mind a little, instead of drowning myself into music as I ran.

  One segment in that particular podcast struck a nerve. I had heard the ideas before, but it stuck with me as I ran. It was titled 'Failure Role Models'. And they talked about the many famous role models who had failed at various points in their careers (Bill Gates, Michael Jordan, Thomas Edison, Steven Spielberg, Steve Jobs, etc.).

  The second point they stressed during the segment was how important failure is in finding success. Through your failures, you learn. You alter your approach. You better yourself. You succeed.

Gearing up for a run in the cold!

  So many of us are afraid of failure. If you stop trying, simply to avoid failure, you're failing. All those people listed above, took a chance. They put their necks on the line over and over, til their goals came to fruition. And now look how they are regarded.

  'There's only one true failure, and that's never trying.' If you never try, you'll never accomplish anything. It's the safe way to live. Not trying. Not engaging.

  People fail over and over, all around us. Everyday. So it shouldn't be that scary. They pick themselves up, brush themselves off, and try again.

  That was my take-away during this morning's run in the dark. So I guess I can look at my jet lag as a blessing in disguise (for today, anyway). Because I don't know when I would have gotten to that podcast otherwise!

  As a new year has gotten underway, that is something I want to keep at the forefront of my life. Trying, engaging, putting my neck on the line, possibly failing -- both off the basketball court and on.

  You should try it too!

LINKS:

Jillian Michaels Podcast 11/10/12

Focusing on the Positives

What makes you smile?

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  There's a lot of negativity in our world. Turn on the TV, or go on the Internet, and it's all around us. On the news, in television shows, down the line to our countless social media outlets.

  And when you're constantly surrounded by negative, it's easy to get caught up in the wave, and yourself, turn into 'Negative Nancy,' isn't it?

  For whatever reason, our minds focus on, and highlight negative thoughts more often than they absorb positive reinforcements.

The Psychology
  Historically speaking, bad things threatened our survival (drought, an attacking animal, threatening situations). Over time, our minds evolved to hang onto those negative things more-securely to help ensure our survival with quick and swift action. The negative alerted us to danger. This is the trait negativity bias.

  The second reason we hold onto more bad than good is that our brains focus more on things that are out of the ordinary. On a day-to-day basis, our lives are pretty good. Things are at least OK for most of us. Think about it: good things happen on a regular basis throughout our day, and we rarely bat an eye. But the moment something bad hits, we fall apart. Because it's unusual, we focus on it. We fret about it, we tell our friends about it, we might carry one negative thing with us for the rest of the day! What about those 10-15 great things that have also happened? This is called the positivity offset.

  I'm not in the US right now, but I can bet that the lead story on SportsCenter over the weekend was Ron Artest's (sorry, I refuse to call him Metta World Peace) elbow to James Harden's head. So out of ALL the positive, amazing, graceful plays that happened in the world of sports, THAT was the one play that everyone focused on, and that everyone will remember. Negative sells.

  Even as a basketball player, I've always focused more on the shots I missed, instead of relishing the ones I made. That is no different than a child remembering the the one negative thing they are told rather than remembering the five positives.

  Over time, negative, anxious and defeated feelings accumulate, and before too long, you're stuck in a rut. So if we're surrounded by negativity, and our brains psychologically focus more on the negative, how do we keep ourselves from falling into the abyss?

  Unfortunately, I don't think it's possible to rid ourselves of negative in the world. But how do we focus more on the positive, more on the light that is surely in our lives?

How to Focus on the Positives
  Not focusing on the negative can be a serious exercise in discipline. It takes a lot of willpower and practice not to focus on the bad. Just like it might take practice to find and focus on the good. No matter our situation, positive emotions ARE there! You just might have to work to find them.

• As 'zen' as it may sound, focus on the present moment. Again, most of our day-to-day moments are positive. But if we're fretting too much about the past, or worrying about the future, we miss out on opportunities to experience positivity in the here-and-now.

• Pay attention to the human spirit, it can be amazing! What little things have others done for you that have helped put a positive spin on your day? And in turn, what have you done, or what can you do, that might positively affect another person's day? No matter how big, or small the gesture, they all make a difference! Remember those times. "What we focus on, we empower & enlarge. Good multiplies when focused upon. Negativity multiplies when focused upon. The choice is ours: which do we want more of?" - Julia Cameron

Celebrate your successes!

• Celebrate your accomplishments. When you deserve it, really celebrate! Too often we're already looking for the next step, or our next conquest (this also can be applied to 'living in the moment'). When it's appropriate, pat yourself on the back, & take a moment to celebrate your success. It's like celebrating a win. Don't forget to celebrate a win by moving too quickly onto the next game. Just like you shouldn't celebrate too often (after each made basket, for example)!


• For a more drastic change, we might have to change our brain process. This changes our outlook, or our perspective. For one month, write down three things a day you're thankful for, and three things you're proud of. This exercise will make you think of the abundance in your life, not what you might be lacking. It trains us to look for the positives in our daily lives. "Change your thoughts and you'll change your world." - Norman Vincent Peale

 "What kind of energy are you putting out into the world? There is nothing in between."

  What about when you feel others are dragging you down? How do you not allow others' negative attitudes affect you in a bad way?

Find that bright spot, and focus on it!

  Obviously, it's important to surround ourselves with positive influences and positive attitudes whenever we can! We can try as much as we can to avoid, but of course that's not possible all the time (and avoidance doesn't leave much room for growth). Co-workers, teammates, classmates, colleagues of any sort aren't up for debate in most situations.

  So when you're around that negativity, how do you overcome it? Just the same as we overcome our own negativity, we shift our focus!

  No person is 100% bad. But once we've been around them often enough, the bad might be all that we see. Look for situations where you have positive interactions with that person, and instead relish in those moments.

  It's also important to mention taking responsibility for yourself. Your thoughts, actions (and reactions), and energy all contribute to the goodness (and the problems) in every relationship you have. 'If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem', right?

  These are some things that have arisen in my life recently, and I'm trying my best make a change for the better. As with anything, it's a work in progress! There are times when we need to be reminded that there are some things we cannot control. As much as we might try, we just can't! In those situations, choose to let it be, and move on! Let's focus our energy on the things we CAN change, and CAN affect.

  We can tell ourselves, 'think positively, focus on the good' all we want. But we have to do more than just 'think it'. If we have a natural propensity to drift towards and remember the negative, we have to retrain our brains. It takes time to change habits, so it definitely will take a little time to change our perspective! Stick with it!

 LINKS:

Trait Negativity Bias 

Jillian Michaels Podcast 4/7/2012

Positivity Ratio

Attractive or Repulsive?

Learning from Losing

A game earlier this season.

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  For just the second time since the turn of the new year my team, DMBC Dunkerque, celebrated a win Saturday night. Two wins in three months -- yikes! To be honest, I'm a little surprised I haven't been stuck in a deep depression from all the losing. It got me thinking about how I've changed over the years in regards to how I handle losses.

  While my uniforms and teammates have changed drastically over time, my reasons for playing haven't. At first, when I was a kid, I played strictly for fun. Over the course of years and years of practice, it eventually became my job.

  Though, for whatever reason, it's never felt like a job to me. Probably because basketball has never stopped being fun. The work can be hard, both physically and mentally (you do the work to be your best. To me, meaning, to win). And yes, it can be frustrating when things aren't going your way. But when it comes down to it, I STILL find great joy when I step onto the court. And it still is where I feel I am at my best -- in my realm.

One Bad Loser
 

My motto...

  One thing I've learned is that losing never gets easy. Though I think I've gotten a little better at it over the years. When I was in high school, if we lost, I would never be able to sleep. I would literally replay every moment back in my mind: Every shot I took and missed, or every turnover I made; every play that went awry, and wanted to have back, was running in my mind while I tried to sleep.

  The constant game film replaying in my head usually resulted in me tossing and turning the entire night. I would fall asleep at some point, and wake up the next morning in an awful mood, not wanting to go to school. You can bet, nine times out of 10 I was in class the next day. Though I didn't give in without a fight. ;)

  So you can say I didn't handle losing very well as a teenager.

Learning to Adjust

Winning is fun...

 
  I don't want to say I learned how to lose my freshman year in college. But it's safe to say I learned to cope with it better. Point blank: we weren't very good my first year at Colorado.

  We were young, and inexperienced. And that was NOT the recipe for success for competing in one of the toughest conferences in the country.

losing isn't.

  Our team consisted of one junior, six sophomores, three freshmen and a walk-on. Tough to win in a conference like the Big-12 with a line-up like that. As a result, we took our fair share of bumps and bruises along the way.

  Early on my freshman year, I reacted to losses in a similar fashion. By tossing and turning the entire night, beating myself up, and replaying what I could have done better to help my team win. Eventually I guess I learned how to put the loss aside, long enough for my mind to quiet down, so I could get some all-important sleep.

  As my team at CU got better and more-experienced, winning became the norm again. So thankfully I never accepted losing.

Re-Adapting as a Pro

  As a professional, I've always been on winning teams. Teams that have made the playoffs, and had successful seasons, record-wise. This season, however, has been the losing-est season I've had in a long, long time. I've never had a season in Europe where my team finished below .500.

Celebrating a win in Germany.

  It's definitely not something to be proud of, but I guess it goes to show that I've grown up a bit in that regard. The fact that I am enjoying my time in Dunkerque, even with all the losses, says a great deal. There are definitely still times when I'm not-so-happy about how things are going (usually on Saturday night and Sunday morning after a loss).

  But life goes on, and you learn from set-backs. A couple things I've learned along the way:

• You learn what you really value in life. Things outside of the game that bring you joy. 
• You learn how to persevere. Life will never be easy for us ALL the time. It's important to take the bumps, learn from them, and keep moving!
• You learn to rise above negativity. Losing equals a lot of negative thoughts (your own), and negative things (maybe attitudes, words, actions) around you. You learn not to give into the negativity, and hopefully turn it into something positive for yourself.
• You learn to handle your emotions, and not let them control you. 
• You learn there is always another game, and another chance to redeem yourself. So you have to prepare yourself when that time comes!

  I will never accept losing as the norm. Because losing is not fun. And that's why I play!

Celebrating a big win in Italy.

  You'll never find me cheery and chatty after a loss. To me, the day you're okay with losing, is the day you should stop playing. When you're okay with losing, that means you've stopped caring, and stopped competing. If you don't care, it's time to get off the court. Simple as that.

  But finally I've learned that you can get something out of an L as well!

  With our win over Laveyron on Saturday, DMBC Dunkerque officially avoided relegation (for more about that, read: Avoiding Relegation). Three games to go, and it's clear sailing! Here's to three more wins to finish the season!

The Show Goes On

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Power of thought.

  The basketball season in France is rapidly coming to a close. With four games left to be played in roughly four weeks, I'll be packing my bags for the US in no time. But til then, it's important I make the most of these next four weeks. For reasons I really can't delve into in the blogosphere, it's becoming increasingly obvious that my last weeks in Dunkerque will be filled with character-building moments.

  I usually am a "glass is half full" kind of person. But sometimes it can be pretty difficult to find a silver lining, and keep your attitude upbeat. During those times, I often take to a collection of thoughts and quotes I've gathered throughout the years, to help me find the brighter side of things.

  I'm not quite sure when I decided this, but at some point along the line, I came to the conclusion that attitude is everything. Your thoughts and your attitude can make or break a situation. It can turn the best of times into unforgettable moments. And likewise, can turn a difficult situation into something you learn from, that
ends up not being as tough as you originally thought it would be.

  Here are some of my favorites. Skim through them, see what hits a cord with you, and send me your favorites if you have any!

Determination/Work Ethic:

"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift." - Steve Prefontaine 

"There's no on/off switch. You have to do it everyday." - Unknown 

"Hard work without talent is a shame, but talent without hard work is a tragedy." - Robert Half 

"We are what we repeatedly do, excellence then is not an act, but a habit" - Aristotle 

"Win or lose you will never regret working hard, making sacrifices, being disciplined or focusing too much." - John Smith 

"Don't count the days, make the days count." - Muhammad Ali 

"Desire is the most important factor in the success of any athlete." - Willie Shoemaker 

"I've failed over and over and over again in my life...and that is why I succeed." - Michael Jordan 

"Ambition is priceless..." - Wale 

"And if you fall, stand tall & come back for more." - Tupac 

"If it is important to you, you will find a way. If not, you'll find an excuse." - Unknown 

"Do things with passion, or not at all." - Unknown 

"Never give up on the things that make you smile." - Unknown

Going Outside Your Comfort Zone:

"A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there." - Unknown 

"If you are afraid of failure you don't deserve to be successful!" - Charles Barkley

Positive Thinking:

"Change your thoughts and you'll change your world." - Norman Vincent Peale 

"Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words. Keep your words positive because your words become your behavior. Keep your behavior positive because your behavior becomes your habits. Keep your habits positive because your habits become your values. Keep your values positive because your values become your destiny.” - Gandhi 

"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't. You're right." - Henry Ford 

"What kind of energy are you putting out into the world? There is nothing in between." - Unknown 

"What we focus on, we empower & enlarge. Good multiplies when focused upon. Negativity multiplies when focused upon. The choice is ours: which do we want more of?" - Julia Cameron 

"Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you'll never, ever have enough." - Oprah

Progress in Action:

"Don't miss your promise being passive. Passive people get passed up." - Unknown 

"Every morning in Africa a gazelle wakes up and knows it must move faster than the lion or it will not survive. Every morning a lion wakes up and it knows it must move faster than the slowest gazelle or it will starve. It doesn’t matter if you are the lion or the gazelle, when the sun comes up, you better be moving." - Maurice Greene 

"We write our story a chapter a day with the deeds we do and words we say. Make your story a good one today!" - Unknown 

"Who is on your team? If they are not adding -- they are subtracting. Cut the weights from your wings so you can fly." - Jason Lester 

"Success is not permanent & failure is not fatal." -Mike Ditka 

"Do your little bit of good where you are; its those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world." - Desmond Tutu

Staying in the Moment:

"We seem to be going through a period of nostalgia, and everyone seems to think yesterday was better than today.  I don't think it was, and I would advise you not to wait ten years before admitting today was great.  If you're hung up on nostalgia, pretend today is yesterday and just go out and have one hell of a time." - Art Buchwald 

"Yesterday is history.  Tomorrow is a mystery.  And today?  Today is a gift.  That's why we call it the present." - Babatunde Olatunji

Miscellaneous:

"No matter what accomplishments you make, somebody helped you." - Althea Gibson 

"Always give without remembering & always receive without forgetting." - Brian Tracy 

"Friends who believe in you when others do not, friends who tell you can do it when you fear otherwise, friends are a gift" - Unknown 

"Never make excuses. Your friends won't need them, and your foes won't believe them." - John Wooden 

"If you're absent during my struggle, don't expect to be present during my success." - Will Smith 

"Just because you CAN doesn't mean that you WILL. You must decide for yourself to take the necessary actions in order to achieve results." - Unknown 

"You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him." - James D. Miles

  But these inspirational sayings can only get you so far. At what point do you turn your thoughts and attitudes into your actions? Granted, thinking positively is a HUGE step, and one you must take. However, making your thoughts your actions is the biggest jump (and the biggest question mark) in my mind. What is the process of making that happen?

  Good intentions are great, but without action ... they're just that -- intentions.

Lupe Fiasco - The Show Goes On (take a listen to the third verse, in particular)

  Lots of things to think about today. But we're making progress! 

  ~ Sabrina

Pushing Through the Rough Patch

Who knew I had a defensive stance like that?!?

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  I'm not going to pretend like losing is the worst thing you can go through. Unfortunately, we are reminded on a daily basis that there are things much more difficult to experience. But let me tell you, losing starts to wear on you after a while.

  I'm not exactly sure what my personal record-losing streak stands at for my career, but it's safe to say, if we haven't already surpassed it, we're getting dangerously close. Losing streaks aren't something you really want to keep track of, so you'll have to excuse my lack of stat-keeping.

  My team and I suffered our fifth straight loss over the weekend. That puts our last win coming before Christmas. Here's a situation where only having one game a week isn't doing me any favors. Nearly two months without a win makes for a very frustrated blogger/basketball player!

On the drive.

  When you lose a game, you're chomping at the bit to get back out on the court as quickly as possible, to right any wrongs. To somehow correct the mistakes you made that may have contributed to your team's loss. Practicing makes you feel a little better. But it's not til you get that win, that you're finally 'over' any loss. Until then, you keep seeing the mistakes over and over in your head, playing like a movie.

  I can say, though, after our most-recent game against Armentieres, I am encouraged. We played with fire, and intensity. I could see in my teammates that we were all into the game and focused on winning. It was the most 'together' we had played in months. We played hard, we fought for loose balls, we had a team-spirit that brought us closer. Unfortunately, we just didn't make the plays down the stretch, and came up short on the scoreboard.

  But we'll keep plugging along. There's no other choice. We'll learn from our latest loss, and hopefully become better players (and a better team) because of it. Losing is never ok! But if there's anytime you can be 'ok' with a loss, or a failure, it's when you turn it into something you learn, and grow from. You never want to numb yourself from losing, or from failing. If you're numb, and downfalls no longer affect you, then you're as good as finished. Cause that means you no longer care.

  One quote I continuously come back to is Michael Jordan talking about his failures: "I've failed over and over and over again in my life...and that is why I succeed." That's how MJ made himself the best ever. He took those failures and made himself better. He used his slip-ups as motivation. We can all do the same. We can't let our failures be for naught.

  We're close to turning it around, I can feel it! Fingers-crossed for a better report next week. I think it'll happen!

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To Do: 2012

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  I guess I've shared 'personal' things on my blog before, but putting your goals and aspirations out into the world, for everyone to see, is a little more daunting. A little more intimidating. Cause if you don't follow though and accomplish them, you look a little foolish!

  But I think that's also how you get things done too. You tell everyone who's willing to listen, what it is you plan on doing. And that right there, is sometimes motivation enough to keep you working -- keep you plugging along. Fear of failing is a powerful thing. When I've put my name next something, or said I'm going to do something, chances are, it's going to get done.

  I don't know about you, but I don't want to have to come up with excuses as to why I didn't follow through with 'such-and-such', so I might as well just do it, right (hmmm 'Just Do It')?!?

  And that's exactly what my blog has been, and that's exactly what posting my goals and resolutions for 2012 is about. Giving me that extra push. That extra motivation to get things done.

  A few things I have a hard time making 'measurable'. So I'm still working on my 'to do' list for 2012:

NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS AND GOALS 2012

IMMEDIATE:

 -PERSONAL TRAINING CERTIFICATION -- decide if it's for me, and WHICH cert. to get. Then start working towards it. Certified by summer.

 -WORK ON RESUME & CONNECTIONS AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK

 -CONTINUE TO BLOG 3+ TIMES A WEEK

 -CONTINUE TO EAT AS CLEAN AS I CAN, & CONTINUE TO EDUCATE MYSELF ON FOOD SYSTEM

 -TAKE MORE CHANCES. PUT SELF 'OUT THERE' MORE -- How do you measure that?

 -FORMULATE GAME PLAN FOR THE SUMMER -- Summer plans if I play another season in Europe, or not.

 -DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT I WILL PLAY NEXT SEASON????

SUMMER:

 -RUN MY SECOND HALF-MARATHON -- Anyone want to join, or have done one that's fun? June thru August.

 -VACATION: 1) SOMEPLACE SUNNY (Hawaii, Caribbean....) 2) NYC

 -TAKE A CLASS AND LEARN SOMETHING NEW (COOKING, MASSAGE, OR???) -- Any suggestions?

 -DRIVE HIGHWAY 101 - OREGON COAST TO CALIFORNIA -- If not this summer, sometime soon. Have heard it's an amazing drive. Anyone done it??

  There's my to do list! Have a good Wednesday! 

  And a quote for the day:

“To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift" – Steve Prefontaine

"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't -- you're right."

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I love this picture!

  We've all heard the quotes a thousand times:

• it's 'mind over mater'
• 'life isn't what happens to you, it's about how you react to what happens to you'
• how things are: '90% mental, and 10% physical'

  These sayings have been drilled into our heads over and over again. But do we actually believe them?
  And if we do, do we try implementing them into our lives?

  Sorry, these are the thoughts of a psychology major! Positive thinking and thoughts affecting outcome are some things that have arisen with me recently, and I thought blogging about them would help me sort though those thoughts.

The power of thought!

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy 
  One of the most-impactful and meaningful things I studied as a psychology student was the idea of self-fulfilling prophecy.

  A self-fulfilling prophecy happens when a positive or negative expectation about circumstances, events, or people may affect a person's behavior toward them in a manner that causes those expectations to be fulfilled.

  In short, it's thinking something true.

  For example, having a 'me against the world attitude'. Having that sort of attitude in all facets of your life probably won't work out very well. By constantly bringing that attitude to the table, the people around you might think you're a difficult person to be around (your attitude/behavior ends up alienating those around you) and because of this, they might not want to interact with you.

  That alienation, in turn, feeds your me against the world attitude even more.

  Another way of looking at it is: what is your internal dialogue, or what is your story? What are the thoughts that you consistently have about yourself? Those thoughts, stories, ideas, are amazingly powerful because usually they end up becoming our reality.

  Whatever our story is, it bleeds into everything. You come to expect it. You look for it, because you're so used to seeing it. (examples: feeling powerless, attracting abusive relationships, people being 'out to get' you, co-workers not liking you, etc.)

Henry Ford quote.

Focus on Positives, or Negatives?
  We all have the situation that seemingly arises everywhere in our lives, or a scenario that we recreate over and over. The question is, do we allow that story, or those thoughts impede our progress? Is it making the quality of our life poorer? Do we focus on the negatives in our lives more than the positives?

  If life really is mind over matter, shouldn't we do our best to focus on the positive aspects in our life, and stop dwelling on the negative?

My Stumbling Block
  This occurs with me when I begin thinking about what I am going to do after my basketball career is over. The first thoughts I have are: 'I am only qualified to play basketball', and I am inexperienced at anything 'real world' related.

  You can guess that by thinking this way, and focusing on those things would cause anxiety. Not only that, it doesn't allow you to enjoy your current situation as much as you should.

  It's a domino effect of sorts, because you can't selectively turn off emotions. Your anxiety leads to avoidance, and shutting down from the other parts of your life. And that, in turn, leads to being even more alienated, feeling more alone, and more reclusive. It's not a good cycle to repeat over and over again. So HOW do you keep this domino effect from starting in the first place?

Make a Choice
  The only solution is to CHOOSE to focus on the positives! Instead of worrying and focusing on the negative THOUGHTS in your head, focus on what is REALITY! What is REAL? What have you done? Celebrate the things you have accomplished!

  For me, think about all the awesome experiences I've had, the great people I've met, the fun things I've gotten to do, the places I've seen, how I've grown over the years. How can THESE things help me in my future endeavors? What are the skills and traits I have acquired through these experiences that transfer over into the 'real world'?

Easier said than done sometimes, isn't it?!

  I've decided that if you focus too much on the negative and the fear, it stops you from celebrating and appreciating the great things, and moving forward. You can never let the anxiety and fear win!

  The mind is a powerful thing, and we have a lot more control over our outlook than we might think.

  Let's make conscious choices (on a daily basis!) about what we focus on, and what we put our energy into (and what NOT to focus on, and waste energy on!). Hopefully by focusing on the positive, that old 'story' you tell yourself will erode away, and your internal dialogue will slowly begin to change for the better.

  That's what I'm going to work on: focusing on the positive! What's your story?

LINKS:
Jillian Michaels Podcast 10/21/2011

"I've failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed." -- MJ

MJ w/the game winner.

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  After two consecutive weeks of less-than-stellar performances on the court, I decided it was time to seek out a little extra motivation.

  Basketball, like any sport (or life, I guess), is like riding a roller coaster. Nothing stays the same for too long. Just as you're starting to get comfortable, something comes along to shake things up and get you back on your toes.

  My team had won two consecutive games, so we were starting to feel pretty good about ourselves. And then BAM! Just like that, we're staring at a two game losing streak.

  It's equally important to not get too high with the wins, and not get too low with the losses. Maybe each person is different, but for me it's easier to hold onto the negatives, and forget about the successes you've just had. So in the effort to get my mind back on track, I looked for motivation from the best.

  Some of the best quotes I've seen regarding bouncing back from failure/defeat have come from Michael Jordan. When you think of MJ, you most-certainly don't think of failure. You think champion, competitor, success.

  But undoubtedly there were times in his career where he came up on the short end. Where he missed the game winner, where he didn't play up to par, where his team lost in the playoffs. But one of the things that made him the best ever, was that he always bounced back from those defeats.

"If you're trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I've had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it."

                                                                                                            - Michael Jordan

  So if someone like Michael Jordan has had failures similar to yours, there's no reason to get down. He's proof that if you keep working, and learn from your defeats, you can turn things back around in your favor.

  I know that's what I'm going to keep in mind this weekend as I take to the court! Have a great one!

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