Sunday, November 22, 2009

Get Your Head Into the Game




It's Friday night and the crowd is anxiously awaiting the anticipated game in the stands. There is a slight chill in the moist, September air. Your team is huddled together, ready to march onto the field. The band is playing. You are getting ready to go to battle with the opposing team. You are psyched, pumped up, your heart is pounding. It is time to put your game face on and get into the game. You have to do this before you enter onto the field. Victory starts even before the game begins. Most people win or lose a game before they even step foot onto the playing field.

The game of life is no different. You have to figure out what you want, put your game face on, Get Your Head Into the Game, and go after what you want as if nothing can stop you, or stand in your way. And when opportunity arises, you have to seize the moment, reach out and grab it tightly with both hands and don't let go. You have to Get Your Head Into the Game and keep it in the game. This means preparing yourself mentally and emotionally, physically and spiritually and then keeping yourself fine tuned in all these areas, which takes a lot of self discipline, a lot of effort. I have found in my own life that to be a great athlete in sports, or in the game of life demands rigorous self discipline, personal responsibility and a high level of confidence. These key components help you to be prepared before the game even starts. A major part of responsibility is taking responsibility for your attitude from moment to moment and cultivating within yourself thoughts of empowerment, victory and success. Self confidence is another huge factor here. Confidence is key to achieving any worthwhile goal and is the result of being competent at something, being prepared, putting yourself in and maintaining peak performance states. It also stems from an inner connection to the sustaining force of the universe. Knowing who you are and your relationship to something greater than you has immense power in creating personal confidence. This type of confidence is an inner, radiant confidence that comes from within.

Whatever you are doing, if you want to do it successfully, you've gotta do it wholeheartedly. In whatever you arena you would like to be successful in, you've gotta actually be on the field. You have to get into the game. If you are not falling on your ass, you are not really in the game. Many people try to pursue their dreams from the sidelines without ever achieving the results they would like to achieve. An example of this is, while I was living in Nashville, Tennessee for many years pursuing a career as a songwriter, it was amazing to me how many people I met who were there supposedly pursuing a music career, who just appeared to me as spectators. These people never sang in any clubs, never recorded any of their music, or did any networking, while I was out doing all that stuff. I met some highly talented songwriters who didn't really dive into the business, but instead, just dabbled in it. They were what I call closet performers and mainly suffered from fear of failure, or fear of not being good enough. Those two fears can paralyze you and take you out of the game of life before the contest even begins.

To Get Your Head Into The Game requires you looking and acting like a winner, carrying yourself like one even before you achieve the success you desire. Pat Riley said in his book The Winner Within, "If you're going to be a championship team, you have to think championship thoughts." This requires knowing how to psych yourself up, not out, and how to channel and broadcast positive recordings in your mind.

Whatever you want to be good at, do it often with inner zeal and passion. Throw yourself into the game even if you aren't 100% prepared. Take some chances, put yourself out there. Get Your Head Into the Game and you will find the playing experience becomes much richer and exciting. You will never win a game you never start, or one you just watch from the sidelines. A quote I really like is, "Life is too short to be little" by Benjamin Disraeli. To be a champion you have to think and act like one. Be the hero in your own life story. Live a courageous, inspiring life and you will have no regrets.
Copyright Justin Topik 2009

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