Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Driving With Attitude: Speak To Yourself Boldly... And Swing A Big "Stick"!
Scenario #1
You're driving along the freeway smoothly and comfortably. You're in the
left hand faster moving lane, and you see you're coming up on a slower moving vehicle who's impeding your flow. "C-mon; what is this" you exhort. "What the hell is he doing in this lane!" And with that, you firmly decide "Ok -- time to pass him." And, checking carefully the oncoming traffic to your right, you flip your turn signal, eagerly give it the "gas", pass by the slow poke, and return back into your lane - where you're again gliding along smoothly.
Scenario #2
Driving With Attitude: Speak To Yourself Boldly... And Swing A Big "Stick"!You see the two lane road you're on is only relatively congested. You're
driving along loosely and comfortably at the posted speed limit. In your rear view
mirror you notice there's a guy just randomly weaving from lane to lane - seemingly
for the sole purpose of picking up car lengths. Why? You reason because it's more
convenient than driving appropriately like all the other cars you see.
You notice he's almost cutting off some of those he's seemingly indifferently
winding around. And as you see him coming up toward you, you decide "Ya' know
what - no; he's not cutting me off -- convenience or not!"
You're approaching a red light about 150 yards up the street and you see he's
almost bumper to bumper with the car just ahead of you in the right hand lane; he's
trying to position himself so he can next conveniently bolt in front of you. So -
feeling in control and decisive - you move ahead to parallel with the car a bit ahead
of you, come to comfortably coast to stop at the light, and then proceed through
the intersection, to easily turn left into the mini mall parking lot where you had
planned to have your lunch.
Scenario #3
You're a bit behind schedule driving to an appointment. You reason you're
not "that" far behind, but don't want to fall any further behind. You're approaching
a big intersection you're familiar with, and you know it's a long wait red light.
The light is green, and as you begin approaching the point of no return (where
you can't stop and must proceed through), the light turns yellow. "Uhhh...Man -
Nah , I'm goin' for it; I'll make it though safely and efficiently." And with resolve
and confidence, you go on to prove your calculation right by moving through the
intersection while the light is still yellow.
Are scenarios 1-3 examples of driving with reckless abandon - disregarding
the safety of yourself and others? No. They're examples of driving with attitude:
you decide the result you want. You decide what you'll do to produce it. You
become fueled by the conviction to do it. And then you firmly, decisively act.
Driving with attitude!
Driving On The Golf Course
It's interesting that this same driving with attitude concept applies when you
play golf. To hit long, straight, solid drives (the kind you know you really can, and
feel you should), you must have a certain pre- execution attitude. And it's not a
"Uh, let's 'see' what we can do here", "I 'hope' I don't slice, chunk or shank", "Let me
'try' to control my body, control my swing, control the ball's distance and direction"
situation. No.
It's a driving with attitude situation. What is this attitude comprised of? Just
like the car driving scenarios 1-3, golf driving with attitude is comprised of the very
same tenets; you decide the result you want. You decide what you'll do to produce
it. You become fueled by the conviction to do it. And then you firmly, decisively
act. Driving with attitude!
No "Let's see". No "Well, I'll 'try' to crank one". No "I don't want to mess up,
and wind up in the rough (or the trees)". It's a matter of directing your mentality
with attitude: "There's my outcome point upon the fairway. And now I'm gonna
smoothly generate a totally committed, fluid power stroke which fully drives my ball
to that point. Yeah -- I'm goin' for it; I've successfully done this so many times
before-- and I'm gonna do it as successfully right now...too!"
Then, with this attitude freely flowing through and exclusive in your mind, take
1-2 practice strokes, set up to your ball, briefly laser in again upon your outcome
point down the fairway. And then - wholly re-focusing upon the ball - begin your
backswing, downswing, contact, and follow-through!
That's how you drive with attitude. No "mamby-pamby" trying "not" to fail,
overprotective calculating. But a solid and targeted sense of:
o What you want
o What you'll do to get it
o Reinforcing a success impact idea through your mind which stimulates sensations of conviction, confidence, and determination to unfold through you. Then, purposefully acting -- singularly fueled by this success impact idea, and its accompanying emotional energy.
What Are Your Options?
Well, let's see. You could "choose" to drive with tentativeness. Un-sureness.
A mental split between part of you wanting to go for it, and another part wanting
even more not to flub or fail. Or, the ever popular "Well -- I'll just give it a whack,
and 'see what happens here'." (Uh...why would you ever "choose" this -- or tolerate
it?!)
Don't just say to yourself "Hmmm - let's just 'see' what happens." Determine,
clearly and decisively, what will happen -- and consummately mean it! Say it in
your mind, feel it in your heart, and let its accompanying energy fuel your stroke.
From now on, before you execute each drive, do not let yourself swing filled with
"low-grade" mental octane. No, from now on, my friend, drive filled with super
grade...ATTITUDE!"
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