It's been said that 90% of the game is half mental, and that's arguably true in both sports and life. The lessons that we learn in athletic endeavors are the same skills that facilitate life success: problem solving, motivation, enduring hardship, perspective, dealing with stress and capitalizing on assets.
If you're interested in cultivating the best version of yourself, then these books should be on your short list.
Ryan Holiday
"Each time, you'll learn something. Each time, you'll develop strength, wisdom, and perspective. Each time, a little more of the competition falls away. Until all that is left is you: the best version of you."
These two things are true: That life will present challenges to us, and that competition is at least partly, if not entirely, a mental game. Ryan Holiday starts with the idea that the stones in the path are not obstacles, but the stones form the path itself.
Inspired by people throughout history that have created success and opportunity out of difficult or impossible situations, this simple guide will have you looking at your challenges with a different perspective.
Josh Waitzkin
"In my experience, successful people shoot for the stars, put their hearts on the line in every battle, and ultimately discover that the lessons learned from the pursuit of excellence mean much more than the immediate trophies and glory."
If you remember the film Searching for Bobby Fisher, you have been acquainted with Josh Waitzkin, the young chess prodigy who won a national championship at the age of nine. What you may not know is that as an adult, he became world champion at the martial art of
Tai Chi Chuan.
What does he think about being a prodigy?
"I've come to realize that what I am best at is not Tai Chi, and it is not chess. What I am best at is the art of learning."
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