Where Amazing Happens

In Game 2 of the NBA finals, the Celtics' Ray Allen was a "three-point making cyborg." He was an unstoppable machine. Records were set. And so was his mind. His team was winning this one. But after his glamorous victory, his performance, or lack thereof, was especially noteworthy in Game 3. What happened? Did he forget to wear his lucky socks? Socks or no socks, Allen was no longer the star. The Lakers' Derek Fisher was. He was not taking "no" for an answer. He was determined. His mind and heart (judging from the post-game tears) were in the game.

These men are professional athletes. They obviously have surpassed some threshold of skill. So what makes them soar one game and crash the next? As my soccer coach used to tell us again and again during time-outs and half-times: At this point, it's about who wants it more. That's what Rudy Tomjanovich meant when he said, "Don't ever underestimate the heart of a champion."

A couple months ago, during a visit home, my dad handed me one of those self-help books he had found when organizing our garage. He didn't say anything himself, but the title, Nothing to Wear?, spoke volumes. I assumed he was poking fun at my having worn nothing but sweatpants and my brother's t-shirts since I had been home. Today, as I was flipping through the book, a definition in Chapter 1 caught my eye: "Visual therapy is where fashion meets psychology and spirit." Books speak to readers in different ways and we interpret text in unique and diverse ways. So here is what I got out of this fine piece of literature: psychology is everywhere.

Considering psychology, by definition, is everywhere (well, everywhere there is a mental process or behavior), my statement might seem akin to saying that the sky is blue. But what I mean is that psychology today is a buzz word. It's pop culture. It is used to explain sports, politics, economics, technology, the list goes on. Psychology is ubiquitous because our minds are engaged in every single thought or action in which we engage. Your mind is a tool. A double-edged sword that can help you as much as it can harm you.

In my mind, Mathematics is a monster. It has historically caused me stress, and quite frankly, the thought of a Calculus problem set induces me with feelings of insecurity and low self-esteem. So, when I performed brilliantly on the three midterms of my college Calculus course, I was naturally surprised. I felt like a different person (my brother, if you will). It only took those three exams for my lack of confidence to transform into overconfidence. Now, my mind was the monster. I walked into my final exam, cocky. The bubble was burst, however, when I looked at the first question. ...What? Okay. I do not understand what this question is asking. I've lost my streak. I don't know how to do this. I am horrible at math. I just got lucky on the midterms. Shit. Flustered, my mindset was altered for the rest of the exam, despite my being fully capable of completing every single one of the rest of the problems. If I hadn't been so flustered, I would have realized that it wasn't just a "streak." It was weeks of learning and honing skills. Weeks of practice and determination. But seconds of performance anxiety unraveled it all. With a little presence of mind, I could have gotten Question 1.

Presence of mind. Poise. That's all it ever takes. In the last few seconds of the first half of Game 2, Kobe Bryant stole down the court put one in. But it wasn't just a basket. It was a statement. It was telling his team that it wasn't over yet. That they were going to fight. The possibility of winning was back on the table.

We've been groomed to appreciate that it's the thought that counts. But any old thought won't do. It's about how you think. The human mind is a powerful weapon. It's up to you how you use it. And you'll know when you use it correctly because that's when you'll succeed. That's what they mean when they say you can do anything when you put your mind to it.