The Importance of Self-Talk
Page 2
What are you thinking about when you're preparing for your competition?
Whether you're a barrel racing fan, a horse owner, a sponsor, or the actual barrel racing competitor, I'm here to tell you that each and every one of you are governed, dictated, and controlled by your self-talk, and if a large percentage of it is negative, then we're wearing ourselves out. The good news is I can teach you how to change your self-talk in a relatively short period of time. If you follow along with these columns, you will see quick, positive, and permanent changes in your life that will help you get past all of the negative thoughts that weigh you down.
Let's start by acknowledging that we do talk to ourselves, and we really can't stop talking to ourselves. Just in case you're reading this and saying to yourself, "What is this guy talking about? I don't talk to myself, never have – why, only crazy people talk to themselves and I'm certainly not crazy." Now do I have your attention? See, we all do it.
Here's a good way for us to get started. First of all, I want you to try your best to be aware of your self-talk. Listen to what you're saying to yourself in different circumstances, and listen carefully. I'm not talking about what you're saying out loud as much has what you're thinking about all the time. Now, after becoming aware of your self-talk, try to identify some thoughts you know aren't doing you any good, be it personal or professional. When you do, try to stop that thought dead in its tracks and flip it around to what you do want to happen.
Perhaps you think, "I hate these ground conditions." First, let's acknowledge the fact you don't like the arena. That's okay. Now, think about this. Is that negative thought going to help you win the race? Probably not. Let's try flipping it around and thinking in terms of what you do want. How about: "I’m going to ride my horse balanced so his feet will stay underneath him" or "I want to stay calm and relaxed, professional, in control, at ease, and focused." Think about the reasons you don't like the arena and find a remedy. After some practice, this positive self-talk starts to take effect.
And you never want to stop. A young lady came up to me once and said, "Doc, how long do I have to keep doing this self-talk stuff?" And I said, "For the rest of your life." My friends, our thinking is the one thing we have control over literally every moment of every day, and by not taking control of our self-talk, we become victims of bad habits, poor attitudes, and negative opinions, many of which we are, unfortunately, unaware of.
In future columns, we will be examining how our self-talk affects everything in our world. From competitors, to rodeo staff personnel, to those who barrel race just for fun and to barrel racing fans, I want to impact everyone. Did we arrive with our negative beliefs just yesterday? Of course not. It may take us a little time to come up with solutions to some of life's challenges, but the time spent will be well worth it.
I was lucky enough to have lunch one day with Yogi Berra, and I asked him about his famous quote about how much of the game of baseball is mental. Sure enough, he reaffirmed that "90 percent of the game is half mental." Whether you're the competitor, a family member of the competitor, a fan, a sponsor, or the horse owner, 90 percent of the game is half mental. And we're going to fix you to make your racing, and your life, better.