Mohammed Ali once explained he called himself the greatest before he knew it was true. You see it in sports and business. Now if we could get more students thinking like champions...that would be something! It's an inner belief, requiring perseverance, that you can achieve anything if you are willing to work at it. I saw a quote the other day, "You can't achieve million dollar dreams with minimum wage effort." This is so true. Impatience and taking short cuts will not get it done. Good things can happen but you can't rely on luck happening to you--make your own luck.
Breaking down how a champion thinks is simple but very few people follow through. You have to be willing to be different. Study your schoolwork when friends are going out, shooting extra baskets in the gym when others play video games and taking care of your body when others poison their own to fit in or be cool. This does not mean you can't fit in or that you must be aloof. It just means you have your priorities set and you are not willing to compromise them. When you are the one out working everybody else your chances of success increase. Whether it is being accepted to your dream university, acquiring your dream job (like I did) or simply passing that difficult class--thinking like a champion will get you there.
It requires supreme self confidence-even if you fail once in awhile...which you will. It takes relentless hard work--don't quit...it's not supposed to be easy. Finally, you must be committed to your goal even when the people around you are not. If you can put yourself into this mindset and sustain it--you just might have a chance to achieve your goals.
Champions understand the old saying: There is someone, somewhere who is out working you right now AND when you meet them, they will defeat you. So please be tough, believe in yourself and think like a champion!
