I AM CHICAGO BASKETBALL Mag JAN/FEB 2017 | Page 31

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ELEVATE YOUR GAME ' WITHIN ' Long before you attempt to elevate it on the court . Conciously stay in the zone .

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Can we all agree , first and foremost , that the only way our lives will change is by one person at a time — that one person is always YOU ? You gotta know that you have the power and responsibility to create your life experiences through the awareness of your thoughts . When you become aware of how your mind works , you ’ re able to control and direct it . Most great hoopers know this well because they consistently do this on the court . However , after the game , many players oftentimes forget the power of control of their own subconscious mindsets and thoughts . How can you elevate your game of life on and off the court ? How can you control some of your experiences long after the game has ended or even began ? One way to do so is by acknowledging the moment-to-moment perfection of your skills ( positive thoughts ) that inspire you to effortlessly bring together all of your greatness toward the path of your truest dreams and desires like you do on the court . You do do this on the court , right ? What if you transferred those same mindset principles you use on the court ... moment-to-moment while practicing perfection into your life off the court ? Here are 5 ways to help remind you how to consciously get yourself into your zone on and off the court and to understand yourself and your capabilities in life as you do on the court :
• Breathe Man ( woman )! Breathe ! Always keep calm , relaxed and energized by focusing on your breathing patterns . Fear , anger and resentment stops the natural breathing pattern . Notice how you ’ re breathing throughout your day , especially off the court . Your breath is your Life Force !
• The mind always quits before the body . The body , when taken care of by hydration , rest , exercise , positive thinking and real food , won ’ t stop unless you tell it to or you allow it to tell you it ’ s done . Stay focused !
• Today it hurts ! Tomorrow it works ! Learn the lesson without becoming overly consumed by a bad moment , game or incident off the court . Do better , go harder , challenge yourself to greatness on the next one . Up your emotional intelligence by letting things go !
• Coach and counsel yourself on and off the court .
Self-talk is everything ! Lots of hoopers talk trash to their opponents and sometimes succeed in talking them out of their games but those same “ trash-talkers ” have also perfected talking trash and talking themselves out of the game of life . Improve your inner-voice ! Always speak positivity to yourself even when you ’ re disappointed .
• Write down your goals , plans , and dreams . There ’ s magic that takes place when one consistently writes things down in a journal . Do this every day and notice how your life begins to change . Please know that just by providing yourself with new information doesn ’ t mean you will believe it . You have to continue to practice these offcourt skills just like you do your on-court skills . Your state of readiness will be dependent on your willingness to practice the same internal mindfulness of moment-to-moment greatness , focus and perfection that you exhibit on the court , off the court . The only way to change your life is to change one person at a time — that one person will always be YOU ! Love . Light . Peace & Power ! Dr . Curtis D , Jasper is a native Southside Chicagoan now living in Atlanta . He helps young men all over the country and internationally by teaching techniques of Self-Empowerment , Personal Development and Emotional Intelligence . Dr . Curt has authored 3 books , his latest book is due out this month entitled I AM my Self-Talk-650 Notes to Self on Life , Love , and Lessons Learned . As a former educator , Dr . Curt now spends his professional days mentoring , coaching and counseling individuals toward their own greatness . Keep up with him on all social mediums . Facebook- Dr . Curtis D . Jasper Instagram- @ IAMDr . Curt Twitter- @ IDrCurtisDJasper www . drcurtisdjasper . com