Frame of Mind

Saturday night i was watching my favourite footy team play. Now it's been a little while since they have had a win - especially against quality opposition - and it showed.

Despite having the ability to do great things, they just didn't have the confidence to try things out. As a result, the attack was somewhere between conservative and tentative. I am sure that after a bit of success the team will play much better - not through any increase in skill, but just because of confidence.

Later i realised that i can be the same way. People can sometimes tell when i'm not feeling myself, because of the way i act. I'll talk less, and if i do say something it will be very short - sometimes sarcastic. When i'm feeling feeling positive and confident, there'll be a bit more chatter, some stories and some jokes. Granted, the jokes aren't that great (mostly the type that your dad might come up with) but they're there. It's amazing the difference that frame-of-mind can make.

Ready to go?

The other night i was having a chat with some friends and we had been discussing that shark attack that had happened several weeks ago.

Apparently the victim (on her way to into hospital) said that she was "at peace" and ready to accept her fate. We discussed whether we could say the same. The answer seemed to be unanimously "No" - although some of us did feel that we would be more ready now than at particular times in the past. Or, for that matter, times that may be still to come.

It was at this point that it struck me how similar this is to a cricket innings. Nobody actually wants to be dismissed, although every innings must come to an end. There are times when getting out would be tragic, and there are times when it would be slightly less heartbreaking.

There are times when we can accept being dismissed, and times when we are forced to accept it. We don't seek to be dismissed, but it will happen anyway. All we can do is to make the absolute best of our time at the crease.

A Run of Success

During the recent winter olympics, i saw an interview with Australia's gold medallist Dale Begg-Smith, in which he was asked that standard 'what's it like to win a gold medal?' type of question.

To the interviewer's surprise, the response was calm and simple - "it's good". However, when asked to "take us through" that final run, he enthusiastically described minute details, and was obviously excited about doing a great run with no mistakes.

I can't help but think that this is a really healthy attitude.

A gold medal depends entirely on the results of the other competitors - particularly in Dale's case, where he was not the final competitor to take part. Having already completed his runs, should Dale judge himself as a success or failure, based on whether the Norwegian can go 1/100th of a second quicker or slower?

I think not - and Dale seems to agree. Perhaps true success, in sport or in life, has little to do with comparison. Perhaps true success is as simple as doing the best you can do, and being the best you can be.