Tag Archives: Winning

Winning is the Only Thing

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“There are two primary choices in life:  to accept conditions as they exist, or to accept the responsibility for changing them.” ~ Denis Waitley

Winners don’t always succeed in competition or life, sometimes they lose or experience failures, just like everybody else, states Denis Waitley. Yet, the winners’ attitude and mindset still make them come out on top eventually and over the long term.

Waitley emphasized that winning is not just about competition, but about striving to reach your highest potential and maintaining a positive mindset. His encourages you to adopt a more proactive and optimistic approach to life.

Green Bay Packers and NFL legendary football coach Vince Lombardi said regarding Lombardi, “Winning isn’t everything, but the only thing.” His mindset was that the desire to win and the pursuit of excellence were paramount in both the sport of professional football and life.

Being a winner is about having winning habits, a positive mindset and resilience (a never quit or give up mindset), which helps not only the winner succeed, but also the people around the winner.

“The winners in life think constantly in terms of I can, I will, and I am. Losers, on the other hand, concentrate their waking thoughts on what they should have or would have done, or what they can’t do.” ~ Denis Waitley

Winners are very aware of both themselves and time. They are usually very present in the moment, and don’t fret on the past or worry about the future.

Instead of dwelling on past mistakes and problems, winners learn from them and move on, so they can enjoy and live in the present. They’re not worried about the future or their death, because they understand life is short, tomorrow is not guaranteed, and that they must follow their own roadmap and create their own future.

Winners understand better than most that life happens, but they are responsible for their choices and how they respond to life’s situations and circumstances.

In essence, winning and being a winner is a mindset, attitude and habit.

Additionally, winners tend to be always grateful. And, there is always a reason to be grateful.

Source:  The Psychology of Winning by Denis Waitley 

Cultivating an Attitude of Gratitude and Nurturing a Winning Mindset

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Cultivating an attitude of gratitude is crucial for developing a winning mindset in sports and life.
Here are some key points on how gratitude contributes to a winning athletic mindset:

  • Gratitude fosters a positive outlook and resilience. Athletes who practice gratitude are better able to maintain an optimistic perspective, even in the face of setbacks or losses. This positive mindset fuels their drive and determination to improve.
  • Expressing gratitude helps athletes appreciate the journey, not just the outcome. Instead of solely focusing on winning, grateful athletes value the process of training, learning, and growing as an athlete. This joy in the journey itself enhances their motivation and performance.
  • Gratitude counters a sense of entitlement. Grateful athletes recognize the opportunities, support systems, and hard work that enable their success. This humility prevents complacency and drives them to give maximum effort.
  • Practicing gratitude builds mental toughness. When athletes express thankfulness even after losses or failures, it helps them reframe those set

A positive mindset and an attitude of gratitude are powerful tools in winning, achieving athletic success and personal growth. Embrace them!

Duke’s Coach Mike Krzyzewski Career Ends

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“It is not the critic who counts, not the one who points out how the strong man stumbled or how the doer of deeds might have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred with sweat and dust and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, if he wins, knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” Teddy Roosevelt

One of the most impressive coaching careers in NCAA basketball history ended Saturday, April 2, 2022, when Duke Blue Devils men’s basketball team lost to North Carolina Tar Heels in Coach Krzyzewski’s 13th and last Final Four appearance in New Orleans. The loss shut down his bid for a sixth national title.

The loss marked the end of Mike Krzyzewski’s illustrious head coaching career – one that started at the U.S. Military Academy in 1975 before he took the Duke job in 1980. Krzyzewski, a West Point grad, played point guard at West Point from 1966-1969 under Coach Bob Knight and then spent 1969-1974 serving in the U.S. Army, coaching three different service teams.

In a 2018 Military Times article, Krzyzewski, the 75-year-old grandfather of 10, called West Point “the best leadership school in the world.” 

Regarding his tenure as head coach, “I’ve been blessed to be in the arena,” Krzyzewski said. “And when you’re in the arena, you’re either going to come out feeling great or you’re going to feel agony. But you always will feel great about being in the arena. And I’m sure that’s the thing when I’ll look back that I’ll miss. … But damn, I was in the arena for a long time. And these kids made my last time in the arena an amazing one.”

Krzyzewski’s coaching career ends with a victory total of 1,202 — including 101 in the NCAA Tournament.

References:

  1. https://nypost.com/2022/04/03/an-epic-ending-for-mike-krzyzewski-the-man-in-the-arena/