Lou Holtz....

I was watching the college football kick-off show a week or two ago, and I heard a quick quote from Coach Holtz that I just had to share. Of course, this is a great time of year - MLB playoffs coming soon, the NFL season just started and the college football season is finally under way! All of these sports, individuals, businesses and the like can get something out of his quote he shared that day.


"What the mind perceives, the body achieves."


In the end, is it really mind over matter? Can our brains get our bodies to do things through visualization, concentration, will power? Or does the body just refuse to play along?


Simply put for me, I think it comes down to "I can" instead of "I can't"....positive thinking. I talk to many folks that give up before they ever even try! That disappoints me....



Take running for instance. I have to continually tell myself "I can make it a little further, I can push a little further". Training and conditioning will help your body prepare for what you are asking it to do, but it will recognize limits that can only be breached by mind power! Push, Push.

I've watched the science of sports show before that included Navy Seals. The Seals displayed their mental capacity to keep their bodies warm while sitting in freezing water for an enormous amount of time! It was impressive....

Obviously, we all have limits. I know I can not throw a baseball 90 miles an hour - regardless of how much I push myself, or perceive that I can do it. I have tried before - pitched 3 years in an adult baseball league in Tallahassee! I once pitched 1o innings, over 200 pitches....we won! That was beyond what I thought I could do, but I set my mind to it. I threw a lot of curve balls!

All I know is that it doesn't help anyone's case if you start out doing something with a thought of failure or "I can't". Lou believes, as I do, that you can accomplish unbeknownst things if you focus your mind on doing it. Your body will go where you tell it to - it should not be leading the way!

Do you have a story about pushing yourself beyond a previous barrier? What do you think about the quote?

Look forward to your comments.

Lee Corso

I was fortunate to meet Lee Corso, ESPN College Football analyst and former FSU Seminole, when he was guest speaker at an event a year or so ago benefiting physically challenged youth.

He shared his views on how he judges people, and I wanted to repeat them here for you - I was certainly impressed with his comments.

Two things he considers when evaluating a person:

1) How you treat people that you do not need.
Do you ignore these folks? Turn away? Go out of your way to be cordial? It is a struggle to be nice to everyone, granted. But think of the difference you could make by being nice to someone when it is least expected. I have always heard it is easy to be kind to someone that is kind to you, but ever more of a challenge to be nice to someone who is mean to you.

Whether it be the waiter, the gas station attendant, the sales clerk, the teller, the garbage man, the homeless, the ex-whatever, the disabled, the poor....just to name a few. How do we treat these folks?

2) The time and energy you devote to helping others.
Depending on your own situation, how much time can be put here? Maybe you have been a recipient of someone's help? Giving back can be done in many ways, and only you can decide on the right way in your situation. Volunteering, money, effort, sweat-equity, mentor, words, food, clothes, referrals, etc., lots of ways to help others.


Obviously, I agree with Corso's insights. The bottom line for me is making a difference in the lives of others - to whatever degree you see fit.

How are you doing it? What are you giving to others?

One of my proudest examples - hope you don't mind me sharing this - was my experience as the Chairman of the Board for the Rotary Youth Camp in North Florida. The annual camp is for kids with physical or developmental challenges. For 3 years I helped raise money, plan the camp, attract campers, organize an annual banquet, volunteered at the camp and met many, many thankful parents.

It is hard to describe the impact these kids had on me, and how the overall experience helped make me a better person. I didn't need these kids (relative to Corso's comment), but I certainly realized the time and enery I put into it was nothing compared to their efforts required to make it through a single day, and these kids needed us.

So, what do you think?

Take care!

Mickey

Secretariat....having Heart!

While running the other day, the topic of having heart came to mind. I thought back to the ESPN special of the top 150 athletes of all time - number 35 was the great Secretariat, the only non-human to make the list.

Obviously, this horse was awesome. What made this horse so special? Well, many will argue that it was the horse's heart that carried it to victory. Most thoroughbreds slow down after the 1st mile, but Secretariat actually sped up.

After Sect's passing, an autopsy revealed a possible reason as to why this horse was so special. The average thoroughbred's heart weighs 8.5lbs - well, Secretariat's weighed in at a whopping 22lbs! So, literally, Secretariat had more HEART than the competition!

Figuratively, I started thinking about how much heart I have, we have. It could be as simple as having the heart and will to ALWAYS run at least as far as my goal I put in the Ipod when I start my run - regardless of tiring. (as you may know....Ipod and Nike have a transmitter and receiver to help track your results!)

OR, it could be as complicated as wondering if I have the heart to make it through a tough career decision or even handling a personal relationship.

Is your heart in everything you do? Are you inspired to go to work each day? Do you believe in what you're doing, selling?

We get one chance in this life to experience some joy, happiness, love, success, etc....I think having your heart in it is paramount.

What did the Tin Man want? Heart!

If we do not have our hearts in everything we do (job, marriage, family, friends, relationships, etc.), what can we do to fix it? Change it? Improve it?

What do you think?

"Some of your best passes are incompletions."

I have heard this many times, but it stuck a few weeks ago while watching an NFL game. Obviously, in the game of football it pertains to a QB's ability to throw the ball away instead of taking a sack or trying to force a throw into tight coverage - at the risk of an interception....the incomplete pass is better than the alternatives.

Well, does it fit in our lives today? Any analogy? When things go wrong, we seem to be quick to judge as to why. However, there is a belief that things happen for a reason, but sometimes it takes so long to see the reason! Point being....we may not know that our "incomplete pass" was good at the moment it happened - but it may end up being better for us than "forcing a throw into coverage" or "taking a sack". Make sense? What do you think?