Darrin Donnelly
Aug 3, 2017
Want to know what your life will look like a year from now? Listen to what you’re saying when you talk to yourself. Your self-talk determines your future.
The above passage is from my book, Relentless Optimism, and it concisely sums up exactly why the way you talk to yourself is so important.
Self-talk determines your future results and, unfortunately, most of us have an inner voice that is way too negative. We tend to beat ourselves up when something bad happens and it only makes things worse—it only leads to more negative consequences.
But, there is a way to quickly defeat that negative voice and replace it with positive, empowering self-talk, which leads to positive results.
Here’s the simple three-step method as described in Relentless Optimism… [continue reading…]
Darrin Donnelly
Jul 27, 2017
I’m excited to announce that Relentless Optimism, my latest book in the Sports for the Soul series, is here! This book addresses an important topic that affects every area of a person’s life: attitude.
Specifically, this book tackles the topic of positive thinking…
– How can you use “positive thinking” to change your life for the better?
– Why is so much of what you’ve heard about positive thinking wrong?
– And, what specific positive-thinking techniques have been proven to deliver results in a person’s life?
Positive thinking leads to positive outcomes. Study after study proves this. Researchers have found that optimistic people live longer, live healthier, have more energy, have more successful careers, make better decisions, are more productive, are less stressed, have healthier relationships, and (not surprisingly) are much happier than pessimists.
However, a lot has been misunderstood about what it means to be a positive thinker and what it takes to maintain an optimistic outlook. [continue reading…]
Darrin Donnelly
Jul 20, 2017
The first self-improvement book I ever bought was called, Winning Every Day by Lou Holtz. I was in college at the time and Holtz had recently retired as head coach at Notre Dame. I bought the book more because I was a fan of Notre Dame Football and Coach Holtz and less because I was seeking to change my life.
But that book did change my life.
Holtz’s book forced me to think about what I really wanted to do in life and what kind of sacrifices I was willing to make to get there. It made me realize the importance of every decision I make and it hammered home the fact that success isn’t an accident; it’s the result of positive thinking, hard work, grit, self-determination, and having a clear plan for where you want to go.
Lou Holtz based his book on the ten rules that guided him to a Hall-of-Fame coaching career, which included a National Championship at Notre Dame. I’ve learned that these ten rules are the basis for achieving any goal—as an entrepreneur, as a coach, as a writer, as a parent, in sports, in business, in any area of life. I still refer to these ten rules often to ensure I’m on the right path… [continue reading…]
Darrin Donnelly
Jun 29, 2017
The difference between winning and losing—in sports, in business, and in life—usually comes down to the way you think. Big achievers think much differently than everyone else. They embrace a positive attitude while most people (consciously or not) develop a cynical attitude.
Positive thinking works. Study after study shows that optimists are generally happier, healthier, and wealthier than pessimists. Yet, people often get the wrong idea about what positive thinking is and how it works.
Winners don’t expect that if they just think positive thoughts they’ll never encounter any setbacks. That’s wishful thinking, not positive thinking—and it will only lead to discouragement.
No, winners expect to face adversity. And then they expect to learn from it and overcome it. They expect to get better because of it.
That’s how positive thinking works.
As a basketball coach, Mike Krzyzewski has won 1,071 games, 14 ACC conference championships, five NCAA National Championships, and three Olympic Gold Medals. Here’s how Coach K explains positive thinking and the winner’s mindset… [continue reading…]
Darrin Donnelly
Jun 22, 2017
No coach in history has influenced more leaders than John Wooden. The winner of ten national championships as UCLA’s basketball coach, Wooden’s success philosophy goes beyond sports and leaders from all walks of life have embraced the lessons he taught.
At the center of Wooden’s philosophy is one important rule that the legendary coach repeated often: Make each day your masterpiece… [continue reading…]
