How to Have the mind of a Champion when the Going Gets Tough

Times are tough right now, to succeed or in some cases to survive we must develop what I call the mind of a champion.  The question is how do we do that, how do learn that laser beam and confident focus all champions have?

When I was in college I got a real lesson on this process.  My team had won our regional tournament and qualified for the NAIA national small college tournament.  On Sunday night, the day before the tournament started, I had the distinct privilege of hearing the great Olympic Champion Jesse Owens speak at a banquet which was held for the teams that had qualified for the national tournament. 

Jesse Owens stood at the podium erect and almost regal as he gave his speech about participating in the Olympics in Berlin and what it took to become an Olympic champion.  During those Olympics, Jesse won four gold medals and either broke the existing world record or the existing Olympic record in all four events.

These extraordinary feats were accomplished in front of and much to the dismay of Adolph Hitler.  Jesse told us he did not care what anybody else thought, all that mattered to him was the feeling he had in his heart.  He had confidence in his abilities, he had confidence in his training program, and he knew in his heart he was good enough to win.  Jesse Owens said he knew the going would be tough, it would be difficult, but if he kept his eye on the goal nothing could stop him.

Jesse Owens taught me that you determine your own destiny. 
* What someone else thinks does not matter.  It is what you envision for yourself – how you see yourself that matters. 
* When times are tough we cannot allow ourselves to get distracted.  We cannot allow ourselves to lose our self confidence.
*  If we have properly prepared, have the passion and the focus we will succeed.

As Dr. Norman Vincent Peale said many years ago,
* “Any fact facing us is not as important as our attitude toward it, for that determines our success or failure.” 

Champions all have a similar characteristic, they control that little voice in the back of your mind, and they keep it positive.  You know the voice I am talking about – the voice only you can hear the voice that never lies to you and you can never lie to it.  Champion’s little voices are always positive; those little voices are the champion’s ally.   Do not allow that little voice to become a liability, work with it, and develop it.  That little voice is the first step to a positive outlook.

When you get in a dynamic environment like we are in today, have the mind of a champion believe in yourself and have that positive little voice working for you.  Ask yourself, do I have the mind of a champion?

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