Even if you’re focused on the future, “someday I’ll be great” and try as hard as you can to live in the present, “I’ll do whatever it take right now to make it happen” the past may still be controlling what you do and how you do it.
It doesn’t matter if you’re 17 or 87 we all have a past and as part of that past there have been experiences – lots of them – that shaped who you are today…or at least who you think we are.
Whether those experiences were interpreted as bad or good at the time doesn’t matter. The only things that matter right now and in the future is whether they make you stronger or weaker – give you power of take it away.
The first thing to understand is that your thoughts alone can make or break your efforts. You may be saying to yourself, “I will be great…I can do this” but if what you’re really thinking and feeling is “I suck” you have a pretty freaking good chance of failing.
Imagine it this way, you’re under the barbell and getting ready for a set of heavy benches. You have two coaches one on the right and one on the left.
The coach on the right wants to protect you – he’s trying to help you avoid the PAIN of failure and injury. You’re safety is his main concern as he whispers “I’m not sure about this kid… it’s pretty heavy weight, you could get hurt…remember what happened last time – I say stop, stop right now.”
The coach in the left wants you to win, to be great, he wants you to experience the pleasure of victory and he could give a crap about your safety. He is whispering something very different; “I believe in you kid, you can do it, this weight is nothing, imagine how it’s going to feel once you’ve conquered this shit. You’ve got this… I say go, go it right now.”
Which coach do you think would give you more power and strength? Which one would you choose to listen to?
I guess it depends on which you value more – safety or greatness
This conflict goes on in your head all the freaking time (not just when you’re under a heavy bar). The conflict is based on the pain and pleasure, failures and victories of the past whether you actually remember them or not.
Have you been playing it safe or taking on BIG new challenges?
If you’ve been wondering why you’re not making the progress you could or should be making – it might be time to identify which coach you’ve been taking advice from.
