Want and Believe

So I went to a workshop this weekend, one that I normally attend at least once a year.  This workshop is for my personal growth, but then again everything in life really is.  But I use the workshop as a way to evolve as a person which in turn will always allow me to evolve as a coach.  My job as a coach is to not only research, watch film, gain knowledge in my sport, but it is also to get better as a person so I can have better relationships with the players I work with.  In the end that is what it is all about because I could have all the answers and the best information in the world, but if nobody wants to listen because I am the worlds biggest jerk, then none of that really matters.

 The message I wanted to talk about and get across to the lovely athletes who actually read this thing is a little thing called Want and Believe.  This is something that stuck with me this weekend.  In order to manifest anything you want in life there is always a process of creation that is going to take shape.  But before you can move forward in the process you must bring along two very specific things, Want and Believe.  Seems pretty simple right.  This is the starting point and basis to everything you go for in your life. 

Now in my line of work this is a HUGE deal.  To want and to believe is really what it is all about.  The thing is though that the wanting has to be through the roof.  You have to want so badly that you will do anything to get what you want out of this profession.  You have to want so badly that there is no real sacrifice because you don't care about anything else.  You have to want so badly that all the workouts and the games and the traveling and all that other stuff you could throw into the bag is never called work or a job.  You have to want so badly that you eat, sleep, drink... (you know the rest)...this sport.  To be a professional pitcher in the biggest of stages your wanting needs to consume you.  Yes!!!  Consume you!!  I understand I am on the verge of sounding cultish and insane and overdone but it is the truth.  There is always perspective that comes into this as well.  So when I mention all these crazy sentences you must realize the perspective that you must have on all this.  The perspective is coming from a passion and a love.  Not from a lack or a longing for.  This means that sacrifice doesn't exist because your perspective on what you are doing is clean.  This means that work or a job type focus is not in your vocabulary because it is just your life and what you love to do.  This means that the choice to have baseball consume your life is a choice of joy and not insanity.  It just means you love the sport so much and you choose to succeed so you practice at your craft and you study your craft and you love your craft.  That is the "consume" that I speak of.

The next step is the Believe part.  If you have this ever-burning desire or wanting to be a major league pitcher you must then have the belief in yourself, no matter what the situation brings, to back that wanting up.  You have to believe so clearly and confidently that you never hear the doubters, the naysayers, the people who tell you that you are too small, too short, too fat, too slow and whatever else the critics think of.  The perfect example of belief right now is Tim Tebow.  Look at that guy.  You think he believes in himself?!?  He believes so strongly in himself and he wants to succeed at quarterback so badly that he has convinced his entire team, his entire organization that he can win, no matter what.  No matter how bad it looks or how bad he throws or how bad the game goes into the 4th quarter.  Nothing matters, nothing shatters his belief because he knows he is capable of anything.  Just think of the belief he has in himself when week after week he has to hear the critics and the opposing teams continually criticize the way he looks on the football field.  But yet he wins and has been highly successful solely based on his wanting and his belief.

So the next time you go to practice or to your game and are wanting to have results that are satisfying, just think about how much you want it and then believe that it can happen.  You could go as far as measuring on a scale from 1 to 10.  1 being the low and 10 being the high.  If you go home each night and answer the question honestly to yourself you will know exactly why you get what you are getting out of your sport right now.  Increase the wanting, increase the belief and see the performance in your sport flourish!

Ok, that's all for now folks...hope all is well in your baseball world and keep throwing!!!!