“To change your life, you have to change the way you think. Behind everything you do, is a thought. Every behavior is motivated by a belief. Every action is promoted by an attitude. Be careful of how you think. Your life is directed by your thoughts!”

- John Wright

John Wright Speaking Video

Becoming a Champion (part one)

bigstock-Cheering-Crowd-25662716Most people think that being a champion and becoming a champion are the same thing – and that it happens when you step on the victory stand to accept your medal. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Becoming a champion happens many months or years in advance of stepping up to accept the gold medal.

Whether in sports, business, or life, the process of becoming a champion begins with the right mindset. An unwavering belief in yourself can carry you through the challenges you will undoubtedly face as you go for your dreams.

Every year here at Greyfield, we hold Life Skills camps to help businesspeople and athletes understand this fundamental concept, and use it to propel themselves to the next level and beyond. The following is a letter we sent to the members of the high school girls volleyball team coming to our camp:

Twenty days from now, you and your team will be at Greyfield. The chairs you will sit in, the ropes course you will climb, and the grass you will walk (run) on have all been graced by some very special people: NFL and NBA Hall of Famers, SuperBowl and NBA Champions, world record holders, Olympic Gold Medalists, and CEO’s of Fortune 100 companies—just to name a few.

Why did those people come here?

Partially, they came to have fun… but the main reason they came here was to change the way they think.

Why are you coming here?

I have heard that your volleyball team could be State Champions, that you have the potential to win it all. Champions, by definition, win it all. But champions become champions not when they hit the winning spike in the 5th set of the State Finals. Champions become champions when they start to THINK and ACT like champions and that takes place long before that last match. Your volleyball season starts NOW…not when you come to Greyfield in a few weeks… but NOW. You have to SEE it to BE it. And once you see it, you have to start paying the price to BE IT. It doesn’t matter what your coaches think, what your parents think, or what your friends think. It only matters what you think, and your ability to see yourself and your team as champions. Then and only then can you start on the road of preparation, work, and grit to make you and your team all that you can be.

Our team is looking forward to meeting you and making this a most memorable experience, possibly one that you will relive, use, and reflect on the rest of your life. We are going to school and the subject is YOU. Our time together will be a balance between STRESS and RECOVERY. The stress will be learning and growing. The recovery will be play. My years of teaching and coaching have taught me that focus follows fun. We will do both FULL GO, with the attitude of being IN the game, not just AT the game.

Everyone attending our camps is in a leadership position. You may or may not consider yourself a leader on your team, but regardless of that, you do lead the most difficult person in the world and that is YOU.

Chances are you won’t be coming to Greyfield for a camp, but that doesn’t mean you can’t put the right thoughts and actions into your mind–the starting point of becoming a champion.

Napoleon Hill, author of Think and Grow Rich and Napoleon Hill’s Keys to Success, says: “Your progress toward success begins with a fundamental question: Where are you going? Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement.” Conversely, its lack is the stumbling block for ninety-eight out of every hundred people. You simply cannot reach your goals if you’ve never clearly defined them. So if there is really something that you have a burning desire to achieve, if you REALLY want to become a champion, start thinking and acting like one. That’s not a simple or easy task, but it is POSSIBLE.

I’ll share more about this in a future blog, “Becoming a Champion – Part Two,” coming soon.