North Star Mental Fitness Blog

Coaching Passion

"I want to make sure they have passion for what we are
doing and it is not fake passion".

This was not a statement from a woman wanting to be loved by her significant other.

This was a statement from a man wanting to be sexually fulfilled in a relationship with a significant other.

This statement was made by University of Michigan Football Coach, Rich Rodriguez.  Coach wanted his players to be emotionally and physically capable of functioning at peak performances.  He wanted to weed out those who want the glory of being on the team, but were not willing to work hard enough to be champions.

I pondered this statement as I realized how relevant it was for any team or relationship.  Just being on the team is not enough for passion. 

Is the mere presence of being on the team "fake passion"? 

If a person is not willing to push him or herself, work hard and prepare to become a champion, does it mean they have "fake passion"?

Is coach Rodriguez right?

Is it necessary to work hard, prepare to overcome frustrations, and be physically and mentally fit in order to be passionate?

From a mental fitness perspective, it is important to think thoughts that will generate passion.

It doesn't matter what game it is.  What matters is training and learning to think in a way to generate passion!

Remember, We Live with Passion Or Lack of Passion Created by the Choices We Make!

Dr. Hal

Life and Mental Fitness Coach

 

There Is a Cure for Choking And Loss of Momentum

"Tonight I was playing in the finals of a local tournament and missed the nineball in two games. Due to these misses, I came in second place.

Is there a cure for this disease?"

 

This was the gut wrenching plea from a frustrated billiard player, who wrote "Choking nine balls? Help!

 

Is there a cure for choking and loss of momentum?

Choking and loss of momentum are seen on a daily basis in every sport.  Errors and mistakes are inevitable and part of amateur and professional sports. 

Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune humorously wrote about choking by one of baseball's super stars, Soriano:

Mental Fitness Programming Applied to Overcome Anxiety about Surgery

The Turn Around Choice of the North Star Medal Fitness Program has been designed to reduce anxiety, panic and fear. 

In fact, this Choice can be used to reduce and manage all self-defeating behavior.  Yesterday, I taught a client how to apply the Turn Around Choice to reduce anxiety and fear about flying in an airplane.

At first he was skeptical.  Then he went through a stage of disbelief as he never thought of this approach to reduce his fear of flying.  As he began to understand how he could reduce and manage his fear of flying, he relaxed.  He felt confident.  He exclaimed that the general public should know about this procedure. 

We talked about how this procedure could be applied to solve so many problems like addictions, other fears and problems with poor impulse control. 

As we talked, I began to feel rather foolish.  I had completely forgotten to apply the choice in my own life!

You see, later this morning I will have shoulder surgery.  I had completely forgotten to master my anxiety, fears and indecision regarding the surgery with the Turn Around Choice.  I admitted my oversight to my client.

Immediately, I applied the Turn Around Choice to relax me regarding my surgery.  It worked.  Yesterday and today I have an inner calmness about the surgery.  I also know that I can use the Turn Around Choice, if my fear or panic return.

I also emphasized for my client one more fact.  Even though a person knows the secrets of mental fitness, mental fitness relief will not be experienced unless the Turn Around Choice is consciously made.

Remember, We Live within the Environment Created by Our Choices!

Dr. Hal

Life and Mental Fitness Coach

Is Your Passion Real?

"Why don't I do when I know I should"?

This was a question asked by one of my very astute clients.  She has been struggling with learning how to take care of herself when she anticipates or experiences criticisms from others.

I'm quite sure that there are many answers to this question.  My client knows she must be performing her mental exercises to become stronger than her problems and strong enough to overcome criticism from others.  Yet, she finds herself unable to maintain focused thinking about her self.  It is so foreign and so hard for her to focus on "caring for herself".

When I listened to University of Michigan Football Coach, Rich Rodriquez, he talked about part of the solution.  Coach Rodriquez put it this way about his team:

Mental Fitness Coaching Helps You Get What You Can't Get By Yourself

"One of the main purposes of coaches is to take you where you can't get by yourself!"  On ESPN, University of Michigan Football Coach, Rich Rodriguez succinctly described the purpose of coaching.

The main purpose of mental fitness programming and coaching is to take you where you can't get by yourself in your:

Brian Tracy on Mental Fitness

How Important Is Mental Fitness?

Brian Tracy in his Sales Success Newsletter wrote about the importance of mental fitness in selling.  Mental fitness is not only important in selling, it is crucial for living a successful life.

This is what Brian Tracy had to say about mental fitness:

Freedom from Problem-Solving

This is the most important blog I've ever written regarding about mental fitness. I want you to know "If you're fit in your head, you can deal with anything".

We live in a problem oriented society.  For many people life is a depressing merry-go-round of identifying problems and then trying to find solutions for their problems.  People spend most of their lives being preoccupied and worried about their problems, while frantically and incessantly pursuing solutions to their problems.  No matter how many successful solutions you find, life always seems to have more problems in need of solutions.

Before long people are captured by our societal norms and expectations to solve problem.  They live with barren lives consumed with problem solving.  Everywhere people look, there are problems.  Problems surface and resurface regularly.  Problems multiply like rabbits.  Problems, problems and more problems.  People soon live within an environment dominated by problems and the obsessive pursuit of solutions.

Yesterday, I had a very enlightening conversation with one of my clients, who clearly expressed a traditional work ethic.  She also explained how the traditional work ethic of identifying problems and constantly working to find solutions almost killed her.  She had sunk into a world of depression with suicidal ideation, because she could not find solutions to her problems.

This is what she told me.