,

Here's a shocker:
 

I, like many (particularly of a certain age group), have taken up the sport of pickleball.

For those unfamiliar, here's a down-and-dirty primer.

For those in the know, it'll come as no surprise that, like most sports, the inner game (how you control your mind) is every bit as important as your body mechanics, court strategy, or physical readiness. 

Very recently, I came upon a book, written 50 years ago, that is something of the bible of the mental side of sports performance. 

I would argue that the teachings in this classic are applicable to a host of facets of our lives—including wholesaling. 

For example, in this excerpt from the book I have changed the sports performance reference to a wholesaling performance reference:

“It is interesting to see how the judgmental mind extends itself. 
 

It may begin by complaining, “What a lousy [appointment that was],” then extend to, “I’m [presenting] badly today.” 
 

After a few more “bad” [presentations], the judgment may become further extended to “I’m a lousy [wholesaler]” and finally, “I’m no good.” 
 

First the mind judges the event, then groups events, then identifies with the combined event and finally judges itself. 
 

As a result, what usually happens is that these self-judgments become self-fulfilling prophecies. 

That is, they are communications from [your mind's] Self 1 about [your mind's] Self 2 which, after being repeated often enough, become rigidified into expectations or even convictions about Self 2. 
 

Then Self 2 begins to live up to these expectations. If you tell yourself often enough that you are a poor [presenter], a kind of hypnotic process takes place. 

It’s as if Self 2 is being given a role to play—the role of bad [presenter]—and plays it to the hilt, suppressing, for the time being, its true capabilities. 
 

Once the judgmental mind establishes a self-identity based on its negative judgments, the role-playing continues to hide the true potential of Self 2 until the hypnotic spell is broken. 
 

In short, you start to become what you think.”

You start to become what you think. 

Let that marinate in your brain the next time you harshly speak to yourself in a way that you would never speak to someone else. 

Rob

p.s. The book is The Inner Game of Tennis: The Classic Guide to the Mental Side of Peak Performance. It might be the best $11 you spend this month.