“Wonder and wander come from the same root. A fixed mind becomes incapable of wondering, because it has become incapable of wandering. So be a wanderer, like a cloud, and each moment brings infinite surprises. Remain homeless. Homelessness doesn’t mean not to live in a home. It simply means never become attached to anything. Even if you live in a palace, never become attached. If a moment comes to move, you move—without looking back. Nothing holds you. You use everything, you enjoy everything, but you remain the master.”
Osho, Everyday Osho (Page 340)
“Each one of us has the ability to manifest hope and optimism inside ourselves. We can calm our minds, motivate ourselves, and master our attitudes. But there are many things that we cannot prepare for, as we don’t completely live within ourselves. There is an external, outside world that brings to us challenges and hardships that we must confront every day. Some we expect, some we do not, but there is always something that we can do to be ready: develop a consistent attitude of hope and optimism. These twin attitudes collaborate in a wonderful synergy that prepares you for any and all circumstances. Have hope, think positively, and the world will be yours!”
Bert R. Mandelbaum, MD, via The Win Within (Page 93)
“In Adventures of an Incurable Optimist, a documentary about optimism and its power, [Michael J.] Fox asked a number of people how they would define optimism. One boy smiled and said, ‘Optimism is like Santa.’ He was right: optimism is a gift giver, one that keeps on giving. I have learned that optimism will help you and others find your way even when the path is not obvious. It is an attitude and a way of life that can and will drive us to where we need to be.”
Bert R. Mandelbaum, MD, via The Win Within (Page 89)
“There’s no such thing as lost. The term itself assumes an end-state that simply does not exist in your life. Life is nothing more than a constant process of finding. Learning, uncovering, becoming, discovering. Treat it that way: Give yourself some grace and remember that every single moment—good and bad—contributes to your life’s story. That story always reads better when the struggle is profound. So, embrace it. You’re not lost, you’re just finding.“
Sahil Bloom
“Inner peace is not something you assemble externally; it is a perspective in your mind that is anchored in the truth of impermanence. When you deeply understand that all situations change, you cling to everything less. You appreciate the things that are enjoyable, and you are not troubled when they end. You face challenges when they arise, but you know that no storm lasts forever.”
Yung Pueblo
“Optimism is vital precisely because, throughout the course of life, so many things will go wrong. Trivial or catastrophic, setbacks and upsets pepper our existence, but they have to. We wouldn’t be human if we didn’t run into problems. We wouldn’t develop without the experience of them. Our lives aren’t measured in a vacuum. We define ourselves—and are defined by others—by how we react to the things that happen to us. Every occurrence, good or bad, presents an opportunity for knowledge and growth. A negative experience doesn’t warrant a negative reaction. We have to surpass our temptation to resent or withdraw from our afflictions if we are to learn from them.”
Bert R. Mandelbaum, MD, via The Win Within (Page 77)
“The Olympics allow for expression of the human passion that resides, too often dormant, in every moment of life, from the monumental, to the mundane. We watch the games not as spectators but as fellow participants in our hearts. We indulge the fantasy that we have something great in us. The athletes we idolize are masters of the same internal fire that you and I possess. In every facet of life, there is an opportunity to assert the Olympic spirit—the victorious spirit—to push for achievement previously not thought possible and dare to dream.”
Bert R. Mandelbaum, MD, via The Win Within (Page 44)
“‘These are my dreams! Why live if I abandon them in difficulty? That is when they need me the most.’ Have you ever said those words? Have you ever accessed the victorious spirit within? Because here’s the secret: it’s resting within you, right at this very moment.”
Bert R. Mandelbaum, MD, via The Win Within (Page 35)
“It is best not to drink too deeply from a cup full of fame. It can be intoxicating, and intoxicated people often do foolish things.”
John Wooden, via The Win Within (Page 31)
“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)