Category Archives: Attitude

“I lost my home and job. My life’s over.”

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"Courage in the Cockpit" — Dan Lopez by Mimi Stuart
Live the Life you Desire

It’s very difficult and frightening to lose what you’ve worked so hard for, particularly your home and your job, and the security that they provide.

Yet, what matters most is how we respond to the situation. With courage and a positive attitude and outlook, you are more likely to get back to a situation where you feel comfortable and secure.

I have a hard-working friend who lost his beautiful home, all his money, and even his car. As a result of this financial crisis, he also lost his wife.

Of course he has tremendous regrets about his lost financial security, but his life seems to have changed for the better. With an amazingly positive attitude, he has not dwelled on what could have been.

He’s now renting a home, has few expenses, practically no debt, and can live on a lot less money than before. His lack of stress is clear to everyone who knows him. He feels much lighter than before, and is able to enjoy friends and sports activities without the pressure of carrying such a a heavy burden and having to make a lot of money.

My mother too lost her home, as well as her friends and family members in WWII Germany, but she did not lose her ability to focus on what she did have — the present moment and the choice to learn and work hard, and most of all, to be grateful for what she did have. With that attitude she became an inspiration to others — another benefit to those who maintain a positive outlook.

by Alison Poulsen, PhD

Read “I get really unhappy not to be able to buy clothes.”

Sports Psychology IV—Gameday: “It’s pretty cold and windy today; I don’t feel like going.”

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"On Fire" Steve Mahre by Mimi Stuart
Live the Life you Desire

Seth Stisher, Pro Slalom Skier & Coach:

Don’t just be competitive on “Game Day.” I hear parents always touting that their child is very competitive. Oftentimes I see these same kids getting frustrated because they can’t accomplish something in a performance-day setting without ever realizing that they didn’t do what it takes in practice to accomplish their objectives.

IF you or your child/student are sore losers on game day, oftentimes that is because you only want it bad enough on Game Day. “Want it” everyday and one day you will begin to have more success.

Alison:

Focus on the moment instead of thinking about the result you want or worrying about failure. Focusing on the present moment during every practice trains the brain to focus in the moment at a competition.

Yet, some people who are generally consistent with their performance have problems during competition because of their emotions and nerves. It helps to conjure up nerves during practice by imagining that you’re in competition. It also helps to use imagery to see yourself performing well under pressure.

Mix it up in training to conjure up some excitement and nerves. For example, in water skiing, go to different lakes, ski in different conditions, or have different people in the boat to get you used to the anxiety of skiing under different circumstances. However, there is nothing that beats getting used to the pressure by competing in a lot of tournaments.

by Alison Poulsen, Phd, and

Seth Stisher, Pro Slalom Skier and Coach
Owner of H2OProShop.com
To ski with Seth, checkout SethStisher.com
Toll Free: 866.213.7993

Read “Sports Psychology: Training and Practice.”

Sports Psychology II—Attitude:
“We should have won. The referees don’t know what they’re doing!”

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"Precision Line" — Mariano Rivera by Mimi Stuart
Live the Life you Desire

Seth Stisher, Pro Slalom Skier & Coach:

Positive attitude is good, but I believe there should be a good degree of realism in your optimism. As many mental coaches advise, setting unattainable goals is a recipe for COMPLETE failure.

On that note, accepting some failure along the way is necessary. How you accept this failure will separate you from the competition. Failure is merely a reminder that hard work and smart work are necessary for real gains.

Alison:

Our physical attitude usually reflects our mental attitude. Our bodies perform best when we are both relaxed and intently focused in the moment. Therefore, a mental attitude that promotes fluidity and power is optimal. Strong negative emotions can cause your muscles to stiffen. So, deal with errors without becoming frustrated.

Look at the attitude young children have when they learn to walk. They observe and practice. When they fall down, they get right back up and keep trying, taking physical or mental note on what worked and what did not work. The best learning occurs without whining or outbursts, but through calm awareness and presence.

by Alison Poulsen, Phd, and

Seth Stisher, Pro Slalom Skier and Coach
Owner of H2OProShop.com
To ski with Seth, checkout SethStisher.com
Toll Free: 866.213.7993

Read “Sports Psychology: I’m terrible at this sport. I can never get it right.”

Sports Psychology I — GOALS:
“I really want to win, but I never do.”

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"Touch the Sky" Sir Edmund Hillary by Mimi Stuart
First successful expedition to summit Mt. Everest

Live the Life you Desire

Seth Stisher, Pro Slalom Skier & Coach:

What do you want to accomplish with practice? Ask yourself why you do your sport? You must start first with an overall objective in order to decide what specific goals will get you there. Also remember it is not always about the destination, but also about the journey.

Water skiing, for example, is a sport where you have no ability to affect your competitors’ performance to any high degree. For this reason, it is important to keep your goals and objectives focused around things you have control over.

It is also important to state goals that will yield other goals. For example, “I want to make sure I take focused practice sets where I am prepared before I go out on the water.” This goal helps with your next goal of learning to run the course by the end of the season or learning to run that next tough pass in the slalom course.

Alison:

To set a goal, you need to be clear about what it will accomplish for you in your life. If your goal is limited to proving to yourself or others that you are adequate or superior, then you’re likely to be frustrated, unhappy, and miss out on other types of enjoyment.

Do you practice your sport for the exercise or the adventure and camaraderie in a beautiful environment? For the challenge of improving your results in competition? Or for the sense of accomplishment after hard work and practice? For the occasional timeless feeling of being in the zone? Or for the enjoyment of the physical feeling of a clean move or the thrill of speed?

The more reasons you have for pursuing a sport the better. If you have a competitive goal, whether it’s going for a world record or your personal best, enjoying the many other facets of a sport helps buoy you in times of challenge and defeat.

by Alison Poulsen, Phd, and

Seth Stisher, Pro Slalom Skier and Coach
Owner of H2OProShop.com
To ski with Seth, checkout SethStisher.com
Toll Free: 866.213.7993

Read “Sports Psychology: I’m terrible at this sport. I can never get it right.”