North Star Mental Fitness Blog

Michael Phelps And Mental Fitness

The accomplishments of Michael Phelps are a tribute to his physical and mental fitness.  He is the winningest Olympian in the history of the Olympics.  He has 14 gold medals.  He has five more gold medals than any athlete in the history of the Olympics.  This year he achieved eight gold medals in swimming.  No one in the history of the Olympics has won more than eight gold medals in one Olympics.

AP National Writer, Paul Newberry wrote:

"Michael Phelps kept every swimsuit, every cap, every pair of goggles he wore during nine magical days at the Water Cube. Every memory will be savored, too, from goofing off with his US teammates to bowing his head not one, not two, but eight times to receive a gold medal at the Beijing Games.

“There are moments I’ll never forget,” he said.

Neither will the whole world."

Michael's successes and worldwide recognition are the result of his years of physical and mental conditioning.  According to Paul Newberry Michael was "the kid was afraid to put his head in to the water".

He overcame his fear.  He had a dream.  He focused on breaking Mark Spitz's achievement of seven gold medals at the 1972 Munich Games.  For many, this goal was perceived to be unobtainable, but not for Michael.

"Being able to have something like that to shoot for, it made those days when I was tired and I didn’t want to be there … it made those days easier to look at (Spitz) and say, ‘I want to do this,’” Phelps said. “I’m just thankful for him having done what he did.”

When Michael was 11 years old, he began a relationship with his coach, Bob Bowman.  12 years later he reached the pinnacle of success.  His commitment and persistency on a daily basis develop the skill and confidence for him to be the best in the world.

From Michael we can learn to overcome our fears and achieve unattainable goals. 

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

Dr. Hal

Life and Mental Fitness Coach

Mental Fitness Programs Are Not the Same

Cognitive fitness and mental fitness programs are becoming more popular and prolific.  When I first began the North Star Mental Fitness Program in the late 1980s, mental and cognitive training programs did not exist. 

The North Star Mental Fitness Program is really a Life Fitness program designed to make the mind function in a more organized, efficient, confident and focused manner. 

Repetition of successful thought patterns is the basis of this program.  The thought patterns were discovered in the process of psychological counseling of hundreds of clients.

The North Star Mental Fitness Program consists of 15 thought patterns or exercises.  This program, for example, provides exercises to help people make choices to:

• Learn how to become free from your past or current problems,
• Learn how to recognize when you need to make changes in your life,
• Learn how to maintain successful life focusing,
• Learn the three step process for success,
• Learn the successful strategy for coping with frustration,
• Learn how to turn self-defeating problems into successes,
• Learn to live a balanced life,
• Learn how to live in the present,
• Learn how to have satisfying and sensitive relationships. 

Do You Know Why?

Have you ever wondered why people exercise?

Do you know why they continue to exercise?

In my last post, Do You Believe That Your Life Experiences Have Made You Mentally Fit, I emphasized that life experiences, although grueling at times, do not make us physically or mentally fit.

In order to become mentally or physically fit, it is necessary to go beyond the experiences of everyday living and perform exercises on a regular basis.

So what are the general benefits for becoming mentally and physically fit?

First of all, mental and physical fitness can make us healthier.  Don't we all want to be healthier?

Secondly, mental and physical fitness training makes us stronger for managing our everyday lives.  Mental and physical fitness training can make us stronger for coping with the stresses and demands of everyday living.

Successful managing of life experiences will not necessarily make us physically and mentally stronger.  In contrast, successful mental and physical fitness training will make us stronger in managing life experiences.

If you want to be physically stronger in coping with everyday life experiences, then commit to a physical fitness program.

If you want to be mentally and emotionally stronger for coping with everyday life experiences, then commit to a mental fitness program like The North Star Mental Fitness Program.

Remember, You Live within Environment Created by Your Choices!

Dr. Hal

Life and Mental Fitness Coach

Do You Believe That Your Life Experiences Have Made You Mentally Fit?

Every day of your life you are and have been making decisions.  Basically, you are making good decisions and sometimes very difficult decisions.  Have you been successful in completing your educational vocational goals?  

You will probably agree with the following statement. You could not have obtained your current status in life without sweating, thinking clearly and making difficult decisions. 

Aren't you challenged everyday when you cope with life's frustrations and problems?  Life is full of problems, which you face on a daily basis.  You have made the best choices available to you.  This I firmly believe.

Therefore, it is a no-brainer.  You have been successful and are successful.  You have shown some mental strength, courage, and persistence by coping with your life on a daily basis.  You have used your mental resources on a daily basis.

I must emphasize that I do not wish to offend anyone by suggesting that they need mental fitness training.  I do not want to depreciate anyone's abilities to succeed and their current efforts in coping with their lives.

However, mental fitness is a lot like physical fitness.  There was a time that people thought they did not need physical fitness training.  They thought that coping with the ordinary physical demands of their everyday living would make them physically fit.  We now know that that is a false belief.  Living one's life on a daily basis does not make a person physically fit.  If a person wants to be physically fit, then they must focus and commit to exercising on a frequent basis.

Likewise, coping with the mental demands of everyday living will not make you mentally fit.  You can have mental successes in coping with your life without mental fitness training.  However, coping with the mental demands of everyday living will not make you mentally fit.

Mental fitness and physical fitness are a lot alike.  Coping with the everyday demands of life do not make a person physically or mentally fit.  If you want to be mentally and physically fit, it is important to do mental and physical exercises.

If you thought that coping with everyday problems and life situations would make you mentally fit, might you be missing something?

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

Dr. Hal

Life and Mental Fitness Coach

Do You Have An Attention Problem?

Life decisions begin the moment you awaken and end when you go to sleep at night.  During your waking hours, you make hundreds of decisions.  The nature of your particular circumstances will not matter.  What matters is the fact that you are perpetually making difficult, life decisions throughout the day.

Life decisions are becoming more difficult, because of the economy and raising fuel costs. 

When "Yes, I Can" Becomes a Problem

My post about "Yes, I Can" emphasized how difficult is is to make this affirmation and how important this affirmation is for generating succcess.  The post "How Many Success Do You Need Before You Can Conclude Your Are Succcessful" stressed the importance of drawing the conclusion that we are succcessful after we have been succcessful.

Both of these posts extol the importance of having this successful motivation and identity. 

Did you know, "Yes, I Can" isn't always a good mind set?  Here is why. 

"Yes, I Can" has to be used judiciously.  It is very easy the say "Yes, I Can" and find yourself over-whemed with responsibilities, commitments, and obligations. 

How many times have you know better, and still failed to say "No".  Logically, you know you can  do it, so you take on more and more.  Before long your life is no longer yours.  You work and work.  Your quality of life begins to suffer and you feel the symptoms of burn-out. 

The force of "Yes, I Can"  needs to be controlled and limited by the motive and drive "Is This Best for Me".  Sometimes you need to say "No" emphatically to "Yes, I Can" and the relentless requests from others to do more.   Asking the question, "Is This Best for Me" can stop you from over extending yourself by assuming too many responsibilities and eventually living in the neighborhood of perpetual burrn-out.

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

Dr. Hal

Life and Mental Fitness Coach

How Many Successes Do You Need Before You Can Conclude You Are Successful

Recently I talked to a middle-aged woman, who was asked to take a position in a large business.  In order to take this advancement, she had to go way beyond her comfort zone.  A hard-working woman with limited work experience, she openly questioned her ability to succeed.

Every day she did the best she could.  At first she was really overwhelmed, but she still applied herself.  She succeeded on a daily basis for over a year.  She was shocked, when she was asked to take a position with even more responsibility.

She once again agreed to take the new position and hoped that she could be successful.  She has now had two years of successes.  She has had over 730 days of successes.

I think she was shocked when I asked her if she considered herself to be successful.  I don't believe she had ever concluded that "I am a success".

Yes, I Can

"Yes, I Can" is a wonderful affirmation.  This affirmation will program the mind for success in all areas of one's life.

I have been very surprised by the difficulties many clients have with making success generating affirmations. 

Announcing the Mind Fitness Newsletter

For a long time I have been blogging.  In fact, I have made 350 posts.  I have enjoyed the new acquaintances I have made, including fellow bloggers with similar interests.  I have especially enjoyed and appreciated the comments made by readers of my blog.

As you may have noticed, the frequency of my posts has decreased.  I have been researching various ideas for increasing interpersonal interaction and communication between myself and the readers of this blog.  Blogging has been way too impersonal form me and I think for most of my readers.

I want to know my readers.  I want to know  your feelings, thoughts and goals.  I want to interact with you, my readers, while you are applying mental fitness concepts to improve the quality of your lives.  I want to know where you are stuck and where you are progressing.

I have chosen to start a newsletter by the name of "Mind Fitness".  I have some great ideas regarding how to make mental fitness more personal and interactive.  I'll also be asking you for your ideas.

You may have noticed on the upper right corner of my blog, there is a "Sign Me Up" place for you to click and become a recipient of the newsletter.  The newsletter will be free.  I hope you will sign up.  However, I hope you will only sign up if you want to interact and feel empowered in applying mental fitness in your life.

Dr. Hal

Life and Mental Fitness Coach

Family Values, Faith and Fitness

Family values has become an electrifying issue for the University of Michigan football team.  The controversy regarding family values surfaced when offensive guard, Justin Boren left the team, because the team's "family values have eroded".  His statement was extremely painful.  After all, he was a second-generation football player at U. of M.  The quotation from Justin Boren was embedded in an article "Rick Rodriguez is building a proud program at Michigan" which appeared in Koala325.

Bob Flounders from the Patriot News wrote an aspiring article on family values.  The story was about the heartbreaking losses experienced by the Mealer and Richer families and about the victories experience as the result of family values, faith and fitness.

Elliott Mealer is a very talented football player, who committed to play for the University of Michigan.  On Christmas Eve in 2007, a car accident took the life of his father and his girlfriend, Hollis Richer.  Elliott, his mother and brother Brock survived.  Brock had a severely damaged spinal cord and broken wrist.

The importance of family values was seen at the time of the accident, when Elliott tried to lift a section of the SUV to free his loved ones.  As a result he had a torn rotator cuff injury.

Elliott talked about his father's love and commitment to his family.  "My father was the type of guy who would do everything for the family".  When he was in the second grade, Elliott remembered talking to his father that he wanted to go to a school where they played football.  Elliott said "we ended up moving".

Life has not been easy for Elliott, since the accident.  Elliott confided "I can't get the vision of the wreck out of my mind.  My girlfriend, my dad,  I'm still going through stages".  Elliott went on to say "what makes it really hard is that my dad and my girlfriend were my best friends".

Family, faith and fitness has helped Elliott go on since the tragic accident. Elliott attributed his faith to his girlfriend.  "She has such a strong faith.  I've never seen anybody with faith as strong as hers" said Elliott.

A bond developed between the Mealer and Richer families.  Since the accident, Elliott has lived with the Richer family.  Obviously, the Mealer and Ricter families had nurtured very strong family values based on faith.

Bob Flounders wrote "faith has carried Elliott Mealer in the six months since the life-alternating the accident and faith has convinced him that his brother will to defy doctors' predictions that he would never walk again".

If you want to know what faith and fitness are all about, listen to the words of Elliott's brother, Brock.  "Well, I know I am going to walk again.  I don't know how long it will take, it may take 10 years, but I'm going to do it."

Elliott calls his brother "Miracle Mealer".  Talking about his brother, Elliott predicted "when he puts his mind to something, it gets done".  Elliott has another brother by the name of Blake.  Elliott went on to say "Blake and I were the athletes, but Brock's tougher than all of us".

I want to conclude this inspiring story by talking about family values that transcend the fierce rivalry between Ohio State and Michigan.  Brock's spirits were recently encouraged by a phone call from Jim Tressel, the Ohio State Football Coach. 

Former University Of Michigan Football Coach, Lloyd Carr, used his influence to get brought into U of M's medical facility.  Even though Brock is a Ohio State student, Rich Rodriquez and his staff have regularly visited and encouraged Brock.  Brock stated "Coach Rodriquez and his assistants have been great to me".

Life is about family values, faith and fitness.  The Mealer family, the Richer family, Elliott, Brock, Coach Carr, Coach Tressel and Coach Rodriquez have together created an inspiring story for us all to emulate.  Yes, the coaches and players at the University of Michigan still have family values.

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

Dr. Hal

Life and Mental Fitness Coach