Episode #25: What is Intensity? of my Train Your Mind for Athletic Success podcast is the first of two episodes in which I will explore the impact of intensity on sports performance. The topic for today’s episode is: What is Intensity? What I mean by intensity is the amount of physiological activity you experience in your [...]
The Saturday Evening Post published my most recent column, Worrying Does More Harm Than Good. Worry is a natural part of the human condition. It has historically played a vital role in our survival and it helps us cope with many of the challenges we face today. At the same time, worry that is too [...]
In Episode #8: Fear to Courage of my Crisis to Opportunity podcast, we continue our exploration of the powerful role that emotions play in how we react to crises in our lives. This episode examines whether you experience fear or courage as you confront crises in your life. As you can imagine, fear produces in [...]
Mitchell Gunn with permission In the Part I in my series, Fear of Failure, I introduced you to the epidemic presence of fear of failure in sports these days. The article describes what fear of failure is and its causes. I also describe three ways that athletes attempt to avoid failure: they quit [...]
A wonderful article in The New York Times about the importance of allowing your children to explore, risk, and fail. A must-read in today's world of over-involved and fearful parents who try to protect their children from dangers that don't exist and experiences that will actually make them more confident, capable and resilient people.
An interesting New York Times article debunks the power of positive thinking, to a point. The article describes research which found that people who simply think positively feel less energy, have less motivation, and accomplish less than those who don't think positively (or negatively). The research indicates that a combination of positive thinking and thinking [...]
I remember my life in my 20s and 30s when I was single. I felt invincible. Life was so carefree. I lived in the present, didn’t think much about the future, and didn’t worry too much about anything (except perhaps finding a wife). No longer. I’m well into middle age now (yikes!), married, and with [...]
In my last post, I explained how the words that parents use with their children can influence how secure they become. Words are powerful to be sure, but, as the saying goes, actions speak louder than words. To foster a health sense of security in your children, your actions, and those your children, can really [...]
Some time ago, I wrote a post about a TED talk in which the speaker recommended that parents allow their children to engage in risky behavior, for example, play with fire, own a pocket knife, throw spears, take apart appliances, and drive a car. I agreed with his views though I also suggested that, because he wasn’t a parent, it was easy for him to say. In contrast, as parents, we all struggle with a fundamental question: How much risk for our children? This question is one I ask myself often because I believe that parents these days are far too protective of their children. Many parents ‘bubble wrap’ their kids with the best of intentions to safeguard them from life’s dangers. I would argue , however, that these parents are actually doing their children a disservice by not allowing them to gain experiences that will build confidence and instill resilience that will be essential for success and happiness later in life. This question arose in my mind over the weekend as my wife and I had some fun adventures with our two daughters (ages 8 and 6). Our girls rode their bikes, swam, and climbed high on play structures. At a more mundane level, we also hung around the house during which time they climbed up on the kitchen counters, cut vegetables with a sharp knife, and helped my wife cook dinner on the stove. Additionally, our daughters rode their scooters on the sidewalk in front of our house and went for a walk around the neighborhood by themselves. Next weekend, we’re going up to the mountains to ski.
‘Tis the season for qualifying. You may want to make the cut for the state championships, U16, U18, or U.S. nationals, or the NCAA championships. You may even have been hoping to qualify for the Sochi Olympics. I can assure you that you are not alone whatever your situation or whatever you are feeling. This [...]
