|
|
      |
| The Lounge | Champions | The Wire | Schedule | Audio | Arcade | The Top Ten | Historical | Email | Video |
|
|
|
| The Lounge | Champions | The Wire | Schedule | Audio | Arcade | The Top Ten | Historical | Email | Video |
 |
Dont Let Failure Go To Your Head
I watched as an 8-year-old All-Star slid dramatically into second base. Yet the umpire gave the dreaded signal, "Out!" The crowd yelled, "That's OK. Way to hustle! Great try!" Another little fellow swings the bat with all the power he can muster?three times without hitting the ball. Each time, the fans encouraged, "Good swing! Now just pick out a good one and make contact! Watch it over. You can do it!" Then the strike-out. "That's OK, man. Next time." I eavesdroppped as one of the coaches talked to my grandson Joseph's team, who had just lost their second in the double elimination tournament. "We have nothing to be ashamed of. You guys played hard and you played well. The other team just played a little better this time. You're gonna keep practicing and next year, you'll come back and you'll be great!" I was impressed as Steven, another coach, modeled for his young protégés the responsibility he was trying to teach. In front of the whole team, he apologized to Adam for his own mistake in signaling the boy to run on to third base in a play that resulted in an out. He didn't want the young man to blame himself for something that wasn't his fault. Maybe you're thinking, "Of course, we tell them those things. We don't want them to get discouraged. We want them to keep trying and not give up." Exactly. We instinctively know what we need to do the keep these little guys motivated and encouraged. (Most of us, that is. Unfortunately, in the last few years of attending these games, I have heard occasionally heard some children being subjected to loud, harsh criticism from insensitive parents. I admit I was savoring the idea of punching them out when I was deterred by picturing the next day's headlines in the Hattiesburg American!) HOW DO YOU TALK TO YOURSELF? You know how to encourage others. But do you do as well with yourself? Do you know how to keep yourself encouraged in the face of failure and setbacks? Take this short quiz. 1. When you make a mistake, do you ever talk to yourself harshly and judgmentally, like this? "You idiot! Can't you do anything right? You should have known better." Think about it. What if you had a spouse or a boss that talked to you this way? How would this affect your performance? Your morale? Your confidence? Why not use more encouraging words to yourself, like the fans to the Little Leaguers? Talk to yourself about the effort you made, the little ways that your most recent try showed improvement over the last, and the things you learned from the failed attempt. 2. Do you ever generalize from a specific performance failure to seeing yourself as a general failure? In other words, you didn't fail that test. You're a failure as a student. You didn't lose that contract. You're a dud as a salesperson. Change that! Talk to yourself about the specific situation. Don't overgeneralize. 3. When you don't accomplish what you had hoped, do you tell yourself, "This is always the way it is for me?" In other words, do you view the failure as a never-ending pattern? Challenge that hope-robbing perspective. If you are to keep hope and keep trying, you must see your failures as temporary. Get to work and find out how you can do better next time. 4. Do you make yourself responsible for things over which you have no control? Recognize your human limits. Others make their own choices about what they do, despite your best efforts. There are very real conditions that impact your success at a task, no matter how skillfully and diligently you try. Take responsibility for doing your best, but be realistic about what you can control and what you can't. BE YOUR BEST FRIEND If you have trouble changing the habit of talking negatively to yourself, here's another tool you can use. Imagine that your best friend were telling you about the situation you're in, and that the words being used were self-berating?like yours. What would you say to him or her? How would you encourage him or her to find the best in the situation and keep trying? See?you do know how to do it. Now, do that for yourself.If you aren't your own best friend, who will be? Dr. Bev Smallwood is a psychologist who has worked with organizations across the globe for over 20 years. Her high-energy, high-content, high-involvement Magnetic Workplaces (r) programs provide dozens of practical strategies and skills that can be put to work immediately to: Review a complete list of her programs available for your convention or corporate meeting at the website, www.MagneticWorkplaces.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Motivation - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Step Out Living your successful life requires you to step out. I remember as a teenager, right out of high school, learning this valuable lesson. Motivation - The 4 Most Potent Ways To Awaken Your Enthusiasm .. Gremlins! Time to Take Control It is a wonder we can function at all. Each of us has multiple personality types all crying for attention. Self-Limiting Beliefs: The Inner Enemies of Progress What are they?Self-limiting beliefs are those things you believe about yourself that place limitations on your abilities.They may be conscious or unconscious. Dont You Quit! "A man who has nothing to die for is not fit to live." -Martin LutherYou sat in that secret corner of your room. If You Dont Ask You Are Rejected, 7 Steps to Overcome that Fear of Rejection If You Don't ask then You are Already Rejected. Many Home Based Business People are afraid of Asking Because of fear of rejection. 10 Ways to Reclaim Your Self-Esteem The way you feel about yourself impacts how and why you do everything in life. If you feel good about who you are, then what you do will be an outside reflection of your innermost thoughts and feelings. Playing With Mindfulness: Sneaking In The Back Door I often meet people who say things like, "I've been working on mindfulness for over twenty years."My response is always this: "Oh, you poor thing! Have you tried *playing* with mindfulness? It's very effective, and much more fun!"They tend to look at me like I'm some kind of kook, and then ask the million-dollar question: "How can you play with mindfulness?" Glad you asked. Are You Ready To Make A Strong Finish? Talk about a strong finish! In their inspiring story of perserverance which ultimately led to great success and victory, the Detroit Shock won their first ever WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) championship title. USA Today told of their "worst-to-first odyssey" where the team, after winning only nine games in 2002, they finished 2003 with a league-best record and championship title. About That Dream... About that Dream.. How Much Risk Is Too Much To Take? The ladder was braced against the railings going to the basement. I started climbing up. Your Date with Destiny Destiny. What a powerful word. What Google Can Teach You About Success I just finished dinner and the segment was about to start so I went over to the TV.The reporter was interviewing the 2 founders, they showed the company headquarters, and THEN they brought up something where I said BINGO. Change Your Life For The Better! Are you still hoping and waiting for someone somewhere to come to your rescue, wave a magic wand and instantaneously change your life for the better?Are you praying that you will one day win the lottery and dramatically alter the financial quality of your life?Are you sitting behind your desk, daydreaming and hoping to one day rise to the top level of management without much effort and hard work?Are you hiding in the background, silently praying and hoping that you will find favor, get noticed and be thrust into the limelight of your destiny?If you are tired of hoping and endlessly waiting for something positive to happen or someone to come to your rescue, make a deliberate decision today to take charge of your own life and begin to lead a fulfilled and productive life.4 things to consider as you decide to change your life for the better. Awaken The Sleeping Attitude Within You! I have made the statement numerous times that; "You are the most important living person." Take some time and think about yourself. Going with the Flow This whole idea of change is founded on a single principle: CHANGE IS ALL IN YOUR MIND.First comes a desire or need to change. Stop Procrastination--Just Do It! In this article I'll talk about the reason that stops most of Internet entrepreneurs from succeeding online.Have you ever wondered why only about 5% of us are actually making money online? Have you ever think about the main reason that stops the other 95% of them?If you are like me, I'm sure that it happens to you to read ebook after ebook, report after report and newsletter after newsletter searching for the missing key that will open the gates to your richness. Words That Inspire - CHOICE What CHOICE do you want to make?Dictionary* says:the act of choosing, power of choosing, a person or thing chosen, the best part, care in selecting.What it REALLY means: making a commitment to what matters to you; acting on your priorities and your values; expressing to yourself and to others what you want and need in your life. Intelligence & Energy Life and evolution is the dynamics of energy in which there is gradual unfoldment of energy and intelligence. Intelligence opens packets of energy which further opens up the doors of higher perceptions. Motivation By A Challenge Many humans are motivated by the thought of doing something they or others think they cannot do. They don't want to do what they already know they can do.
|
Section Site Map - Submit News - Feedback - Comments - Advertise with Us Copyright © 2006 Luminati Inc. All rights reserved. 
|
