You're the Greatest

By Fred Nicklaus

When I was a child I had many sports heroes. I was born in 1957 so I was a big fan of Lombardi's Green Bay Packers of the 1960's. I can vividly remember watching each play of the famous Ice Bowl game with my father and brother. I remember sobbing painfully when I thought that my beloved Packers would lose that game and I also remember celebrating ecstatically as Bart Starr snuck into the end zone to score the winning touchdown. What a feeling!

Another hero of my early years was Cassius Clay. Many of you young people would know him as Muhammad Ali. Clay was a brazen, skillful, fast as lightning heavyweight boxer. Crowds admired him for his skills, but despised him for his bravado and cockiness. Many watched him because they wanted to see him lose.

Did you know?

Cassius Clay was a quiet, unassuming young man in his early boxing career. That would all change the night that he went to see a professional wrestling show featuring Gorgeous George. George was as loud, arrogant, and irreverent as anyone Clay had ever seen. He realized immediately that there was a certain amount of self- promotion missing from his act. Clay noticed George's display and also noticed that the arena was full to the rafters. There were 5000 people in the arena. Clay's biggest crowd to that time was 1500. That would change very soon. It was at that wrestling event that Cassius Clay became "The Greatest." Clay realized that even though he was blessed with amazing boxing skills, he would have to change his presentation and his way of thinking if he were to become the popular success that he envisioned himself to be.

You must understand that Clay/Ali was a very intelligent man and a student of the power of visualization and of positive self talk. He was who he was, as good as he was, because he gave himself permission to be and he believed strongly in the power of his visualizations.

You've all seen one or all of the Rocky movies by now. You've watched as Rocky runs up the many stairs of the Philadelphia Museum of Arts. As he reaches the top of the stairs he throws his arms into the air a symbol of triumph and his readiness to fight for the heavyweight championship of the world. What a great symbol. Any idea where the hands over head in celebration came from? You guessed it, Muhammad Ali.

"I am the Greatest"

Whether you're a champion athlete or you're an average guy or gal who has big dreams and wants to be a champion, you can kick your subconscious mind into gear by seeing yourself as a winner in whatever endeavor you want to achieve championship status in.

Here's a few tips:

1. Close your eyes and see yourself with arms raised in celebration before whatever contest you might enter. Do the work and visualize yourself winning regularly and you'll be pleasantly surprised by how often it becomes reality

2. Say the words to yourself (say them out loud)

"I will ace this test"

"I am a champion"

"I expect big things of myself"

"I will win"

3. Do it while you're looking in a mirror.

4. Do it everyday for 2-3 minutes 2-3 times per day.

This may feel a bit uncomfortable to you as you start. All good things take time. Don't give up.

Understand this reality- your subconscious mind doesn't know the difference between real and unreal. It will, however, turn your life into that which you consistently think about and focus on. Think as if you already possess the quality that you seek. Your mind is your greatest tool. Utilize it well and fill it with good thoughts and incredible goals.

You too can be "The Greatest"

Make the plan, work the plan-

Fred Nicklaus

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