Think Like a Warrior: The Five Inner Beliefs That Make You Unstoppable (Sports for the Soul Book 1)

by Darrin Donnelly

“I sincerely believe that the difference was that I didn’t talk about winning and losing. I didn’t talk about beating opponents. I kept our focus on only what we could control: our effort and our attitude in the present moment.

“This was the difference-maker. I taught my players that being successful had nothing to with the final score. Success could only be measured by whether you put in the maximum effort.

People waste way too much time and energy thinking about past mistakes or worrying about the future. But there’s nothing we can do about the past and the future is determined by what we choose to focus our thoughts and actions on right now.

“It was the process we focused on, not the results. Why? Because we have total control over the process. The results, on the other hand, aren’t always in our control.”

“When you make a commitment to only focusing on the things you have total control over—the effort you give, the attitude you carry, and the process of improving yourself in the present moment—when you focus on only those things and let the results take care of themselves, it’s been my experience that results beyond your wildest dreams tend to follow.”

Focus everything you’ve got on what you can control: your effort and attitude in the present moment.”

“True success can only be attained by knowing you did your very best to become the best you’re capable of becoming.

I focus on only the things I have total control over: MY EFFORT AND MY ATTITUDE. By focusing on only what I can control, my effort and my attitude in the present moment, I will have the peace of mind that comes from knowing the results will take care of themselves. I will not lose myself in the past or worry about the future. I will focus on the present. If I truly give my maximum effort to be the best that I can be today, I will be successful. NOTHING can take that from me.

But every time they did, I told myself: I focus on only the things I have total control over. I would then repeat the words effort and attitude until the worry subsided.

“You can’t let negative outside forces take away the passion and joy from inside you. That’s what makes a man bitter. You focus so much on all the negatives that you forget to focus on all the positives you have going for you.

And don’t pray when it rains if you don’t pray when the sun shines.’

I LOVE WHAT I DO AND I ATTACK EACH DAY WITH JOY AND ENTHUSIASM.

My teams were relentless. In practice, I pushed them to the edge of where they thought they could go and then pushed them further and further past that. They learned that their ability to handle pressure and adversity was limited only by their beliefs. That’s what mental toughness is all about.”

mental toughness is a choice you make.

“The first thing you have to do is recognize that setbacks are only temporary. The pain of a hard day’s practice is temporary. The disappointment of a loss is temporary. The problem that came out of nowhere is temporary. Tough times never last and champions recognize that. They know that adversity is temporary and limited in scope. They keep the big picture in mind. They remind themselves that if they can power through the temporary tough times, the ultimate reward will be worth it.

Too many people think that if you just think positive thoughts, nothing bad will ever happen. Those folks have it all wrong. That’s not positive thinking, that’s wishful thinking. And if you think that way, that you’re entitled to a life where nothing ever goes wrong, you’re going to be blindsided and unprepared when life throws trouble your way.

“Whether you walk into the unknown with faith or fear determines your future.”

“The fastest and easiest way to build confidence is through preparation. If a man knows that he’s put in the work and the study and made the sacrifices necessary to be successful at something, he can be confident that he has a huge advantage over those who were not willing to pay such a price.

“Everyone needs to have someone they trust telling them they believe in them. And the most important person who can tell you this is you. You have to tell yourself again and again that you have what it takes to succeed. There is tremendous power in self-talk and the right self-talk quickly produces self-confidence. Always tell yourself that you can do it. Never talk down to yourself. This is an important one. Make sure you understand how powerful self-talk is.”

“You must also make it a habit of visualizing your future success,” he continued. “Use your imagination to see yourself achieving your dreams. Take some time to dream vividly and think about what it will look and feel like when you accomplish your goals. Most people do the opposite. They visualize all the things that could go wrong in the future or have gone wrong in the past. They then make decisions out of fear and a lack of confidence.

If you dwell on the mistake, you’ll create new fears in your mind. And fear is the enemy of confidence and faith.”