THE EDITOR With the school year just underway, it’s a good time to give ourselves a mental boost to get on track or to reconfirm what it takes to stay on track, helping us to be our best. One of my favorite motivational speakers, Jon Gordon, shares the following insights on bringing out the best in yourself and your team. Whether you’re a student, professional, ntro Text homemaker or retiree, we all have talents and interests. These lessons, published in Gordon’s new book, Training Camp, apply to everyone who chooses to climb a mountain before reaching its peak. Letter from By Debby Zelman Rapoport Headline Being mentally strong means you stay positive Callout through adversity. It means you are resilient when facing pressure, challenges and change. It means weeding out self-doubt and negative talk while focusing on positive thoughts, memories and visuals. I The Best Know What Body Copy They Want There are many people who spend their lives being average or good at something, but they don’t strive to be great. The best of the best know what they want and want it more. The Best Want It More Desire cannot be measured in terms of thoughts and wishes. The best do the things that others won’t do and invest the time that others won’t invest, doing so with passion and intent to get better. The Best Are Always Striving To Be Better When striving to be better, you are always growing. To be the best, you embrace discomfort as a part of your growth process. Humility and passion drive you to improve. Average individuals don’t recognize this or don’t want to see it. Past success does not determine future success, and future success is the result of how you work, prepare and practice, and strive to improve every day. The Best Do Ordinary Things Better Than Everyone Else The best identify little things that are fundamental to success. They focus on them, practice them, and strive to execute them to perfection. The Best Zoom-Focus There is no secret recipe. If you incrementally improve each day, week and month, you’ll see remarkable results and growth by the end of the year. When you zoom-focus on the process and master the fundamentals, the outcome takes care of itself. The Best Are Mentally Stronger Being mentally strong means you stay positive through adversity. It means you are resilient when facing pressure, challenges and change. It means weeding out self-doubt and negative talk while focusing on positive thoughts, memories and visuals. The Best Overcome Their Fears Those who succeed are able to overcome fears and win. The Best Seize The Moment When the best are in the midst of performing, they are not thinking, ‘What if I win?’ or ‘What if I lose?’ They are not interested in what the moment produces, but rather with what they produce in the moment. As a result, they define the moment rather than letting the moment define them. The Best Leave A Legacy You leave a legacy by living and working with a bigger purpose, and by making your life about more than just yourself. You leave a legacy by moving from success to significance. The Best Make Everyone Around Them Better When you strive to be your best, you share positive energy that inspires others to be their best too. It’s in the striving that you find greatness, not in the outcome. Here’s what Gorden says in his Training Camp Team Pledge: n I pledge to be a positive leader who sets the example for my teammates through my positive attitude and actions. n I promise to share positive energy and encouragement with my team. n I will not be an energy vampire or sabotage myself and team with negativity, complaints and excuses. n When I make a mistake, I will own it and seek to improve. n When I’m not playing well, I will stay positive and strive to get better. n When I experience self-doubt, I will remember a time when I succeeded. n When I feel fear, I will choose faith. n When I face adversity, I will find strength. n When my team experiences a defeat, I will choose to stay positive and prepare to achieve another victory. n With hard work, determination and faith, I will never give up and will always help my team move forward, toward our vision and goals. n Today and every day, I will be positive and strive to make a positive impact on my team. Wishing you a month full of positive thoughts and energy to more fully enjoy the path you’re on, wherever it may lead! September 2014 n Beachwood Buzz 3