As you may have heard me say a million times in the past, I get a lot of inspiration from professional athletes. They are unique in the world in that their minds must be completely under control in order for them to be successful at such a high level. Here is an example. The world series of baseball is going on these days – the pitcher on the mound tonight had a fight with his catcher earlier in the year. This of course is not ok in the multi million dollar world of professional baseball.
So the pitcher saw a famous sports psychologist named Ken Ravizza and learned to get his mind under control so that he could use his physical talents to win games. Here is what the psychologist said:
“It’s not like an elite-level athlete is messed up and we’re going to fix him,” Ravizza said. “It’s about what it takes to be great. The mental game is such a big part of it; you have to develop it like the physical game.
“It’s not about feeling great. It’s about learning to be comfortable being uncomfortable. You’re going to be uncomfortable. You’re going to feel pressure. If you think you’re going to be relaxed and mellow, you’re kidding yourself. The difference is embracing it.”
That’s what I’m learning about bipolar disorder. I control as much as I can and I’m exponentially better than I have ever been, but I still have a lot of serious mood swings. I’m just learning to live with some of the uncomfortable thoughts I have to go through while I manage the illness. I will have this illness for the rest of my life. I work hard every single day to stay stable, but on some days, like today- I just have to deal with some really uncomfortable thoughts and do what I can to get better. I can do it!
Julie
PS: I am going to read Ravizza’s book Heads Up Baseball and see what I can learn about myself. I also highly recomend A Champion’s Mind by Pete Sampras.
