Darrin Donnelly
Oct 8, 2025
“I don’t think there’s anything better a man could say about his life than that there’s nothing else he would rather be than what he is. If you can say that and mean it, you’ve got it made.”
– Yogi Berra, 18-Time MLB All-Star and 13-Time World Series Champion
Psychologists and coaches often remind us, “You become what you think about most.”
The vision we hold of ourselves—our self-image—eventually comes to fruition.
That’s why it is so important to have a clear vision of the type of person you want to be.
And like most everything else in life, becoming the person you want to be is a choice you get to make.
Are you living the life you want to be living?
I’m not talking about whether you’ve accomplished all your goals, moved into your dream house, or made all the money you want to make. Those are dreams you may be striving towards, but they don’t make you who you are.
True joy comes from living each day as the person you want to be.
Who do you want to be? [continue reading…]
Darrin Donnelly
Sep 30, 2025
“When it comes to taking chances and sizing up risk, there are certainly some wrong decisions that get made, but they happen less often than you’d think. What affects an outcome more than anything else is effort and attitude.”
– Mike Leach, 2-Time College Football National Coach of the Year
You can drive yourself crazy overanalyzing an important decision.
While it’s wise to adequately prepare for a situation and weigh the pros and cons of whatever it is you’re contemplating, there are going to be risks involved with any big decision.
No matter how much time you spend planning and analyzing, you can never be completely certain of the results before taking the leap and moving forward on something.
In these situations, remember it’s usually your effort and your attitude after making the decision that are going to affect the outcome more than the decision itself.
Similarly, you can also agonize over past decisions you wish you had made differently. [continue reading…]
Darrin Donnelly
Sep 23, 2025
Lately, it seems like I’ve been hearing from more people who are going through tough times.
Adversity is a part of life; we all know this. But it does feel like there is a lot more chaos and uncertainty in the world today. Chaos and uncertainty create anxiety, stress, and negativity, which only makes things worse.
I’ve been asked how I recommend dealing with those tough times when it feels like everything is going wrong.
Here is my answer. [continue reading…]
Darrin Donnelly
Sep 16, 2025
“Of all the hazards, fear is the worst.”
– Sam Snead, 7-Time Major Golf Champion
When I talk about fear, I’m not talking about your instincts, which alert you to danger, or the common sense you’ve acquired in life, which keeps you from doing harmful things.
The fear I’m talking about is the strong, unpleasant emotion that expects something bad to happen.
This type of fear is the root cause of every negative thought that eats away at your self-confidence and every worry that keeps you up at night. It is the voice that makes you doubt yourself.
Fear is what stands between you and a happy, successful life. It holds you back from your potential. It’s the source of all your worries.
You will never achieve your biggest goals and dreams until you first learn to defeat the voice of fear.
You defeat the voice of fear by replacing it with the voice of faith. Faith is the opposite of fear. [continue reading…]
Darrin Donnelly
Aug 14, 2025
“You can’t get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good.”
– Jerry West, 14-Time NBA All-Star and 2-Time NBA Executive of the Year
Even when you’re following your purpose, doing something you love, and trying to be as positive and enthusiastic as possible, you’re still going to have rough days.
Those days when you don’t feel well or you just can’t seem to get excited about what’s next or you feel like an ongoing problem is taking up all your attention and preventing you from being joyful.
How do you handle days like these?
One of the most effective ways to shift your mindset on such days is to remind yourself that every single problem you face is TEMPORARY.
The sooner you attack this day, the sooner you will be one day closer to solving that problem or overcoming that difficulty. [continue reading…]
Darrin Donnelly
Jul 1, 2025
“Winners, I am convinced, imagine their dreams first. They want it with all their heart and expect it to come true. There is, I believe, no other way to live.”
– Joe Montana, NCAA National Champion QB and 4-Time Super Bowl Champion QB
You should be taking time each day to imagine your biggest dreams coming true.
Visualize what it will look and feel like WHEN you accomplish the dream you’re chasing—the more detailed, the better.
Numerous sports psychology studies have proven again and again the positive effect visualization has on performance.
Those same visualization techniques will improve your mental outlook and real-world results in any other line of work.
Taking the time to regularly visualize your dream coming true also reminds you why you’re making the sacrifices you’re making every day.
This mental image of achievement helps you stay on track when the going gets tough. It keeps the “big picture” at the forefront of your mind so you don’t get derailed by temporary problems. [continue reading…]
