Imagination Wins the Stanley Cup
After the dust settled at this years NHL finals, the winner came down to the team who imagined having it with more conviction. Convincingly, that team was the Pittsburgh Penguins, and they were lead by the imagination of their young captain, Sydney Crosby.
After accepting the Stanley Cup as the youngest NHL captain to hoist it, 21-year old Crosby confirmed the importance of both your dreams and imagination when he told NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman: “It’s a dream come true… It’s everything you imagined and more.”
And imagine this scenario in his mind he did… Crosby has admitted to dreaming of hoisting the Stanley Cup too many times to count, although if you asked him, I’m sure he would admit it was a small price to pay to eventually be able to experience the feeling in real life. Dreams come true when you are passionate enough about making them happen.
People often want the results they can imagine but they are just not committed or capable of doing what it takes over time to achieve those results. To get the results we want in life we must offer up an equivalent of value in exchange. In Crosby’s case, it was his determination, resiliency and willpower that showed and told the universe that it was him who wanted this reality more than anyone else.
There are a lot of factors to be considered when it comes to winning a sports title. It can’t be based on dreams alone, because there are as many imaginations genuinely intent on winning Lord Stanley’s cup as there are players in the NHL. When there are multiple candidates and only one reality, like in sports or the lottery, the winner is the person who is imagines their success most clearly and confidently.
When it comes to winning things like awards, sports titles, and even the lottery, the winner is simply determined by the person who is able to demonstrate that they want it more. And why shouldn’t the Universe work on this principal? Deep down inside we all know that a reward system like this is fair, reasonable and beneficial for everyone.
For example, if you had a priceless antique that you had to give away, if given the chance to choose, you would probably prefer that the person already had some appreciation of antiques to begin with correct? Similarirly, if you had to give your prized pet away you would want to ensure it went to an animal lover over animal abuser. The Universe is no different, it wants to make sure our desires are genuine before rewarding us.
When you desire something but lack the willpower to get it success is unlikely. However, when your willpower and your desires are aligned nothing can stop you. People and professional athletes often become unstoppable when they use a crystal clear vision of success to drive their willpower. Anything you can conceive (desire) and believe (willpower) you can achieve.
Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky used to imagine the puck going into the net moments before he shot. Tiger Woods, one of the most dominating forces in Golf wins because he imagines being the greatest golfer alive. Not only does he believe in his vision, he also has a clear definition for what exactly that means.
You can model the success of athletes like Crosby, Gretzky and Woods by taking a page out of their imagination playbooks. Take a moment and think about what your favorite idol, mentor or hero(ine) has done that you would like to do. How did they go about getting it done? How did they use the power of visualization to aid and assist them along their journey. How can you apply or adopt the same principals to help with your success?
I’m not sure the name of the team that will win the 2010 Stanley Cup, nor can I tell you who will be the captain to hoist it come June. What I can tell you is that as you read these very words the winner is already earning their right to win by first winning in the realm of imagination. If you can imagine it possible you can take steps everyday to make it possible.
Have you downloaded a copy of “The 7 Imagination Misuses” yet? In it I describe in detail the 7 most common mental blocks that prevent people from getting exactly what they want. How would it feel in your life if you could re-structure your subconscious so that is is programmed for automatic success? Get what you really want with alot less hassle with Subconscious Restructuring.
Who Do You Think You Are?
Who do you THINK you are? Really?…
When you take a moment and ask yourself that question, it is your identity that provides the answer. How you answer will depend on who you think you are. Your lifestyle and life choices both depend on who you think you are. Is it time to get to know yourself?
If I was asked this question 3 or 4 years ago the answer would have been dramatically different then it is today. In time I have come to see through the illusions of my understanding of myself and my true nature. Now in order for me to describe to you who I am, I must first begin by telling you a bit about who I am not.
My full name is Russell Kirby Small. Interestingly enough yet insignificant, had I been born a girl, my father wanted to name me China… Thank goodness I came through as a boy! Whatever name you have isn’t all that important, because whether in whole, or in part, a name does not describe who you are.
I came into this world on this day, July 10th, just over 30 years ago to an African-American father and a Chinese-Canadian Mother. However, I do not consider my age, race, or birthday to be part of who I truly am.
I was born at 7:00AM on the seventh day (a Sunday back in 1977) of the seventh month, in 1977. One of my favourite numbers is 7 can you guess why? Still, my favourite things do not tell you who I am either.
I am a SAIT graduate in Business Administration Marketing, a Certified Subconscious Restructuring Life Coach, and I’m committed to constantly learning and growing. But yet again, I don’t believe my education is who I am.
I am a fearless fire-walker who has walked barefoot across 1,200 degree burning hot coals. I believe in mind-over-matter and can demonstrate this belief. Still, none of my accomplishments or aspirations will tell you who I truly am.
In love seeing my life coaching clients breakthrough limiting-beliefs. I’m an Entrepreneur who is passionate about developing multiple passive streams of income. But you guessed it, neither my job or my passion can define who I am.
In fact, I don’t believe I am my thoughts, my mind, or my body.. which I bet that leaves most of you wondering, “who does this guy think that he is?” Well many years ago I would be tempted to say I am just another human being trying to experience spiritual enlightenment, but now I believe this to be backwards.
You are looking at me now as a spiritual being having a human experience. As this spiritual being I would like to briefly share with you 3 characteristics that describe the essence of who I am.
1. I am timeless. I come from a source that has existed long before we came to inhibit this Earth. This presence exists simultaneously inside each one of us, and will exist for long after all of us are gone. I’ve always had this inner feeling that time was a man-made illusion, experienced by the mind played to us from the projector screen of our own perceptions and beliefs. The best example of this belief would be a movie I recently watched starring Rachel Weiss and Hugh Jackman called “The Fountain”.
2. The second quality about being a spiritual being is the abundance. I came from a creator that is everything, everywhere, all knowing, all consuming, and every flowing. One of the best quotes that put this concept into perspective was said by Dr. Wayne Dyer “An infinity of forests lies dormant within the dreams of one acorn.” We are a part of this abundance and we can physically manifest it into our lives if we first allow it. I used to tend to focus on scarcity and lack, what I didn’t have and what was missing in my life. I now have come to appreciate all the abundance that surrounds us.
3. The third thing that describes my spiritual nature is that I am a part of ever-lasting change. Change is everywhere and the only constant. For example the cycle of the seasons, the phases of the moon, and the ebb and flow of the tides. I am a part of something that is ever changing. Even the North Pole, the star that for thousands of centuries has pointed North and allowed our explorers to navigate the world will soon be replaced by another star that reflects a more accurate north.
The best identity to develop is always having an attitude about life that is open to anything and attached to nothing. Our emotional tendency to attach judgement based on individual perspective has corrupted our ability to believe we are all one in the same. When you label or judge something we negate it of anything else. Hopefully I’ve given you some food for thought so the next time someone asks you, “who are you”, how will you answer?
