North Star Mental Fitness Blog

Soriano and the Slumping Cubs

The Chicago Cubs have become synonymous with "slumping", "choking", and "pressing".  All terms used to describe mental thought processes that create a loser's mindset, loss of momentum and underachievement.

Carrie Muskat /  MLB.com wrote a very relevant post entitled "Slumping Soriano aims to clear his mind".  In this article Carrie interviewed Soriano, who concluded "Sometimes, you can think too much. Alfonso Soriano says that may be what's happening to him lately."

For many people who are "stuck" and have lost their momentum in life, they sometimes think too much.  Usually, however, the problem is not that they are thinking too much.

The problem is that they are thinking "wrong thoughts".  As is the case with Soriano, there is a realistic basis to some of his "wrong thinking".  Thinking is "wrong" when it programs our minds for failure and underachievement.

Let us look at Soriano's hitting this year.  In fact, we can look at most of the Cubs hitters such as M. Bradley, M. Fontenot, K. Fukudome, G. Soto, A. Miles, R. Johnson, A. Blanco, A. Ramirez and K. Hill.  All of these hitters are slumping and have been slumping almost the entire season so far.

According to Soriano, he has never struggled for this long.  In June his batting average was below 200.  Obviously this is not acceptable to him or any major league hitter.  Soriano told Carrie he needs to "clean" his mind.  He is so right!

Soriano admitted that "I worry".  Again a realistic response to hitting below 200 for entire month, but the "wrong" way to think if you want to be successful major league hitter.

Soriano expressed his dilemma.  He believes physically he is playing his game as well as he has in the past. 

Soriano stated "his swing looks the same now as it did last year and two years ago. He isn't changing his bat, or switching routines, or trying to find the right pregame egg salad sandwich. One good thing is that Soriano is healthy physically."

What has gone wrong?  It's how he has been thinking about his abysmal performance!

Two mistakes are evident in his thinking.

1. He has been thinking to avoid being hurt rather than maximizing his functioning. "I've been working hard to not get hurt get hurt this year."  Playing to not get hurt will result in under achievement.
2. Soriano is allowing his "poor hitting performance" to control his mind rather than allowing his "good hitting thinking" to determine his performance. Soriano said. "I'm not hurt physically, but I'm hurt mentally because I'm not hitting well."

From a mental fitness perspective we cannot allow our performance and especially our past blunders in performance to determine how we think about ourselves.  As the case with the Chicago Cubs, their failure to hit results in self-doubt, worry, anxiety, pressing, or choking.  Filling their minds with these thoughts certainly will kill momentum and guarantee under performance.

If you want to break a "slump" or stop "pressing", change how you think!  Don't allow your under performance to determine how you think.  No matter how bad your performance has been, detach your thinking from your poor performances.  Focus your thinking on your identity as a successful person and focus on playing within your ability.

Remember, Professional Baseball Hitters Live within the Environment Created by Their Thinking about Their Hitting.

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

 

Dr. Hal

 

Life and Mental Fitness Coach

Does Freedom Have an Expiration Date?

Almost all of the perishable food we eat comes with an expiration date.  It appears that almost everything has an expiration date.  Of course, everything may not be stamped with a specific expiration date.  Just because there's no stamp expiration date, don't be fooled.  Everything has its time of glory followed by decline and extinction.

As I look back over my life I realize that life and culture are continually changing.  Life and culture have a cycle of greatness followed by extinction. 

Sometimes, I long for favorite restaurants, stores and products which no longer exist.  I miss certain fashions from the past.  When I really reminisce, I miss the quiet simplistic life that existed before the onset of TV and the Internet.

To be honest I realize my youthful body has also become extinct.  The recklessness and impulsiveness of youth is also becoming extinct.  Although the strength and flexibility of my body is becoming extinct, I still have the freedom of my mind and spirit.

As I listen to our politicians and realize the self-centeredness and greed operating within our society, I wonder if values of honesty, transparency, fairness, loyalty, and commitment are still alive or are they extinct?

As I realize the seeds of change that are being planted in our government and society by our government, I wonder if our democracy and freedom are rushing to extinction!  We know from history that nations rise up and then become extinct.  Is the extinction of our democracy accelerating?

It is time to make freedom choices!  If we went freedom from the way things are now in our society and lives, it is time to courageously commit to actively pursue our freedom.

If we do not want what we hold dear to become extinct, then we must pursue our freedom with unwavering focus and emotion. 

Remember there is no guarantee that our freedom and democracy will not become extinct in our lifetime!

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

Dr. Hal

Life and Mental Fitness Coach

Susan Boyle Is a Winner!

In spite of losing Britain's Got Talent competition, worldwide favorite Susan Boyle is a champion.  She not only sang her signature song, "I Dreamed a Dream", she lived her dream! 

Fight the Giants in Your Life

There are giants in all of our lives.  The Giants that we face take many forms.  For some it is declining health.  For others it may be the economy; lost jobs, failed mortgages or depreciated savings.  For others it may be big bgovernment or political pressures and fears.  For others it may be relationship conflicts or concerns regarding your children.  For some it may be obtaining an education, finding a job, grieving the loss of a loved one or finding a new relationship.

Everyone has Giants in their lives.  Remember the opening scene from the movie "Troy".  Achilles  faced the Giant Thessalonian.  Everyone feared the Giant except for Achilles.  Remember the conversation with a small child, who questioned the wisdom of fighting the Giant.  The child was afraid to face the Giant and Achilles responded "that is why you will not be remembered".

Remember the story about David and Goliath.  Even when we feel that we can't defeat the Giants in our life, it is important to stand up and fight.  The Giants may be overwhelming.  We may think that what we can do is insignificant.  Even though we feel beaten down, we must not quit and give up.  We must rise up from our doubts, fears and anxiety.

We must become stronger than the Giants in our lives.  We must stand up and face our problems and find solutions.  We must leave a successful legacy for ourselves, family and society.  We must do whatever is necessary to take care of ourselves and defeat the Giants in our lives.

CJ Lee wrote a very interesting commentary regarding Achilles defeat of the Thessalonian Giant.  He entitled his post "Live Life without Regrets".  CJ realized that problems are really opportunities.  He wrote:

"Once in a lifetime opportunities should not be hampered by fear. They should be embraced with positive thinking, will, and determination. This does not ensure that everything will go right every time, but you will certainly live a life without regret, because you were not afraid to pull the trigger. Doing things that will last forever separates you from others, and to do something that will last forever is probably the greatest opportunity a human can get."

Defeating the Giants in your life, will not only solve the immediate problems in your life, it will also make you stronger and you will leave a wonderful legacy for those who follow. 

Remember, You Live within the Environment Created by Your Choices!

Dr. Hal

Life and Mental Fitness Coach

 

Is the Stimulus package Stimulating Learned Helplessness?

President Obama acknowledged an "astounding" number of job losses in February.  In spite of the numerous signs confirming our declining economy, President Barack Obama believes his $787 billion economic recovery plan is saving jobs.  President Obama wants us to believe, "I know we did the right thing."  These quotations are from Darlene Supeville, an Associate Press Writer.  Darlene wrote an article entitled Obama on stimulus, "I know we did the right thing".

We know the intended purpose of the stimulus plan was to save jobs and resurrect our economy.  Psychologically, one would hope that the stimulus plan would empower people to become self-confident, self-determined and committed to actualize their psychological and vocational abilities.

If the stimulus plan is creating learned helplessness,

Obama's Checkpoint and Your New Year's Checkpoint

Stop!  President Obama, please stop!  You are at a checkpoint.  Please evaluate the stimulus package and all the other packages you're delivering faster than Federal Express.

New Year's Acceptance

Almost 2 weeks ago, we made our New Year's resolutions.  In my last blog I emphasized the necessity of having New Year's courage to actualize and experience successful resolutions.

New Year's Acceptance is also an important ingredient necessary for successful achievement of your New Year's resolutions. 

In order to courageously persist, achieve and celebrate your successful resolutions, you are going to have to overcome innumerable obstacles and frustrations.

We hate frustrations and obstacles.  However, it is highly unlikely that you will be able to obtain your New Year's resolutions without overcoming frustrations and obstacles.

After two weeks, you undoubtedly are aware of some of the frustrations that you will have to overcome or work through in order to be successful.

I suggest that you make a list of the 10 biggest frustrations that you will have to master and overcome in order to achieve your New Year's resolutions.  Then decide whether you are willing to accept the frustrations in order to achieve your goal. 

If you decide that you can accept these frustrations and obstacles, then you will be successful.

If there are some frustrations that you will have difficulty accepting, then continue to plant the thought in your mind that you can accept even these frustrations.

Whenever these frustrations occur in the pursuit of your New Year's resolutions, remind yourself that you will accept the frustration in order to be successful.

People, who will be successful in reaching their New Year's resolutions, will be willing to accept the frustrations necessary for success and will courageously pursue their goals.

Remember, You Live within the Environment Created by Your Choices!

Dr. Hal

Life and Mental Fitness Coach

The Power of Choice Making

As we enter the year 2009, let's remember the power of choice making. No matter what choices we make in the year 2009, our choices will be extremely powerful!

When Your Adult Child Is in Trouble or Troubled

His college-age son recently attempted suicide.  Her daughter has made numerous bad decisions and currently is in a dead-end relationship.  Her daughter repeatedly asks for money and never manages her money well. 

Mental Fitness and the Falling Value of Your House

Les Christie of CNNMoney.comreported that the home price plunge remained on a record pace through out the summer.  "The S&P Case-Shiller Home Price national index recorded a 16.6% decline in the third quarter compared with the same period a year ago".

Home prices are down 20% since July 2006.  Stephen Gandel of Money Magazine predicted that prices of homes will fall further during the last quarter of this year.  18.6 million homes are sitting vacant in the United States.  2.8% of house mortgages are three months in arrearage.