“We all do this. Instead of using our minds to solve problems, we set it to work on problems that don’t exist. Instead of using it to move forward, we use it to look backward, pouring over what already happened. Instead of using it to feel good, we use it to torture ourselves. How crazy is that? And how counterproductive? You have been given an incredibly powerful too—this brain and imagination of yours. But like a gun or a knife, it can just as easily harm the user as it can protect or serve them. We have to train and discipline ourselves, we have to direct these resources properly. We have to channel our creativity not into fear and anxiety, but into purpose and progress.”
Ryan Holiday
“One of the things I’ve observed is that the trademark of a triumphant spirit is that it declares itself not only in the good times but in the absolute worst times as well.”
Bert R. Mandelbaum, MD, via The Win Within (Page 27)
“No one invites adversity into their lives, and while you can’t always be as prepared for it as you would like to be, the victorious spirit enables you to turn this bad luck into opportunity. Adversity is never the end, but rather a catalyst for you to push yourself further than you may have even thought possible. You simply need to unlock the victorious spirit.”
Bert R. Mandelbaum, MD, via The Win Within (Page 24)
“Many people seem to think it foolish, even superstitious, to believe that the world could still change for the better. And it is true that in winter it is sometimes so bitingly cold that one is tempted to say, ‘What do I care if there is a summer; its warmth is no help to me now.’ Yes, evil often seems to surpass good. But then, in spite of us, and without our permission, there comes at last an end to the bitter frosts. One morning the wind turns, and there is a thaw. And so I must still have hope.”
Vincent van Gogh
“Two is twice as good as one, but one is infinitely better than zero.
- One minute of making sales calls is infinitely better than zero minutes.
- One minute of meditation is infinitely better than zero minutes.
- One minute of writing is infinitely better than zero minutes.
Sure, it might be ideal to spend an hour doing these things, but one minute gets you in the game. Now you’re learning. Now you’re improving. Now results are possible. One doesn’t seem like much, but it’s something real. At zero, you’re still dreaming.”
James Clear
“We should all feel ownership of the history of our species and understand that the very specific genetic makeup that helped our ancestors succeed is still very much present in us. When we start regarding ourselves as born athletes and natural survivors, we’re in a better position to overcome the challenges of life and reach our peaks.”
Bert R. Mandelbaum, MD, via The Win Within (Page 19)
“One of my patients, an award-winning television producer with several hit shows, struggled with weight issues from childhood. It impacted her health, joints, and gait. I fixed an orthopedic problem, and set a course for rehab. I also took the opportunity to talk to her about overall well-being. I mentioned that she might not know it, but she’s intrinsically hardwired to be an athlete. I told her that she’d already mastered how to channel the forces of will and determination, as seen in other parts of her life, and that it’s a matter of adapting what she already has to this kind of project: herself! She started with small accomplishments, walks and hikes, and in time progressed to running. Now, she’s fallen in love with it, never having believed that she could be a fifty-plus woman, jogging up and down hills, showing up as her best self.”
Bert R. Mandelbaum, MD, via The Win Within (Page 4)
“People often ask me about the behind-the-scenes mechanics of my work with elite athletes. They want to know the mysterious process that motivates the extraordinary among us. How do they reach such high levels of performance? And how do they go from a devastating injury to return-to-play? How do they stick it out when they suffer a setback that would put others out of the arena for good? The short version is this: They marshal their inner victorious spirit—a resource that is inside all of us—to push through setbacks and perform at peak levels, physically and mentally. They capitalize on the genetic legacy of survival and perseverance that’s part of our collective history, using their biological drive not just to survive, but to thrive.”
Bert R. Mandelbaum, MD, via The Win Within (Page 1)
