Chapter 5: Mental Toughness from the book Sports & Stocks by Bud Labitan

Mental toughness is a measure of individual resilience and confidence that may predict success in sports, investing, education, and work. Mental toughness and focus are a set of attributes that allow a person to become a better athlete and and a better investor. It takes self-discipline to cope with difficult training and difficult competitive situations without losing confidence. I like to think that running Cross Country and Track in High School gave me more mental toughness and perseverance. I believe that this also helped me learn to pace myself, and exercise patience.

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Sports & Stocks by Bud Labitan

In recent years, the term mental toughness has been commonly used by coaches, sport psychologists, sports commentators, and business leaders. Along with mental toughness, consider the idea of mental flexibility. Mental flexibility is the ability to keep an open mind and learn new things.

While "Mental toughness" refers to positive attributes that helps a person to cope with difficult situations, consider the idea of mental efficiency. Mental Efficiency is similar to good time management. To me, it means the use of our time to focus on the things that really matter in making a good decision.Coaches use the term mental toughness to describe the mental state of athletes who persevere through difficult sport circumstances. Likewise, good preparation helps the athlete and the investor lessen the difficulties of running a play or making a challenging decision.

The great Basketball player Michael Jordan always prepared himself for game battle. He said: I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. Twenty-Six, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.

Each meaningful event can lead us to improve our performance. Famous Basketball Coach John Wooden said: Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do. And It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.

Does competition have to be stressful? "Hans" Selye, was a pioneering Austrian-Canadian endocrinologist. He conducted important scientific work on the hypothetical non-specific response of an organism to stressors. Dr. Selye said: Adopting the right attitude can convert a negative stress into a positive one.

Consider this similar quote from Dale Carnegie: Happiness doesn't depend on any external conditions, it is governed by our mental attitude.

Then, back to investing and attitude, note what Warren Buffett said: Our advantage, is attitude: we learned from Ben Graham that the key to successful investing was the purchase of shares in good businesses when market prices were at a large discount from underlying business values. When you invest, focus on your circle of competence. Draw a circle around the businesses you understand and then eliminate those that fail to qualify on the basis of value, good management, and limited exposure to hard times.

Buffett has gone on to say: Keep it simple. Value Investing ideas seem so simple and commonplace. It seems like a waste of time to go to school and get at PhD, and having someone tell you the ten commandments are all that matter. An investor cannot obtain superior profits from stocks by simply committing to a specific investment category or style. He or she can earn them only by carefully evaluating facts and continuously exercising discipline.

So, if you keep things simple, carefully evaluate the important facts, and continuously exercise discipline, you can make your process a bit easier and have a bit more fun.

"Sports & Stocks" by Bud Labitan can be found on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Bud-Labitan/e/B002D1ERT4

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Sports & Stocks Chapter 5: Mental Toughness - ValueWalk

Montabella senior fullback Luke Burns ran for 234 yards on 29 carries and two touchdowns in the Mustangs 22-20 win at Vestaburg Thursday. Montabella finished with 375 rushing yards total. (Daily News | Ryan Schlehuber)

VESTABURG Both teams wanted it, but it was Luke Burns and the Montabella running game that had enough in the tank to squeak out a 22-20 win over Vestaburg Thursday.

The senior fullback bulled his way into the end zone twice in the fourth quarter, the last one from two yards out with 2:04 to play in the game to take the lead for good, to help his Mustangs (1-1 overall) come from behind to win.

This was amazing. This was hard work paying off because I just really wanted to beat them, said Burns, who finished with 234 rushing yards on 29 carries and two touchdowns. We played as a team and we came together and worked as a team. This is a great rivalry.

Vestaburg quarterback Seth Stratton runs for yards as Montabellas Ethan Crawford (20) runs him down in the third quarter.

Teammate David Shattuck added 101 yards rushing on 10 carries, including a 57-yard touchdown scamper that opened up the scoring for the Mustangs in the first quarter (two-point conversion was good).

Overall, Montabella racked up 375 rushing yards on the Wolverines (0-2).

We just got gassed at the end, Vestaburg head coach Dan Ryckman said. This was a tough one to lose. They played their hearts out, but weve played two teams now that are bigger in size but we hung in there. We just didnt make enough plays at the end.

Vestaburgs offense was stalled by the Mustangs defense the entire first half, as the Wolverines went into halftime down 8-0, however, Vestaburgs Trenton Ketner intercepted Montabella quarterback Jordan Balhorns pass at Vestaburgs 30-yard line on Montabellas opening drive of the second half, which sparked the Wolverines sideline.

Vestaburg Seth Stratton got the ball down to the 1-yard line with a pass to Kegan Crooks and junior running back Dalton Denman punched it into the end zone one play later to get the Wolverines on the board.

Vestaburg receiver Kegan Crooks catches a pass during the first half of Thursdays game.

After recovering an onside kick, Stratton and company charged down the field and finished another scoring drive with a four-yard pass to senior Noah Johnston to take the lead 14-8 in the third quarter.

Vestaburg struck again in the fourth quarter when Stratton ran 37 yards into the end zone to put Vestaburg up 20-8 with 8:28 to go.

But Burns wasnt finished yet, capping a Montabella drive with a 17-yard touchdown run with 6:44 left in the game to pull within six of Vestaburg.

We had to get motivated again and shut them down. We couldnt let them just walk all over us, Burns said. We had to hang with them and it meant we needed to get motivated again.

Montabella recovered an onside kick on the ensuing kick-off, getting the ball back at the 49-yard line with 6:12 to go. Thats when the Mustangs meticulous running game made its final push, with Burns leading the way.

Hes a horse, Balhorn said of Burns. The unfortunate thing is we ask so much out of that young man, and we have other running backs who are talented, too, but they knew he was getting the ball and they still couldnt stop him. Hes got a mental attitude and edge that hes not going to go down easy, and it worked well for him.

Junior Marshall Wright sealed Montabellas win with his interception on Vestaburgs last drive with 1:21 to go.

Stratton finished 5-for-17 passing for 101 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He rushed for 61 yards on eight carries.

Dalton Denman rushed for 41 yards on 13 carries with one touchdown for Vestaburg and Noah Johnston finished with five receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown. Ketner led the defense with 10 tackles and one interception, followed by Johnston with 10 tackles.

For Montabellas defense, senior Wyatt Sackett led the team with eight tackles and a sack, while Jordan Balhorn finished with seven tackles and one pass break-up.

Montabella will host Carson City-Crystal while Vestaburg travels to Coleman next Friday.

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Running on empty - Greenville Daily News

NORTHERN CAMBRIA Northern Cambria and United entered Friday nights game with a lot in common.

Both teams made the playoffs last year and returned a solid core. Both teams are big and strong up front and like to run the ball. And both teams got off to a good start last week with victories.

But the Colts separated themselves from the Lions with a 28-12 win in a Heritage Conference football game at Duffy Daugherty Field, improving to 2-0 for the second straight season.

Northern Cambria ultimately won the battle on the line of scrimmage, and the offense managed 347 total yards compared to the Lions 174.

We knew coming in that theyre a good football team, United coach Kevin Marabito said. Theyre big up front. They gave us fits, and we had a couple injuries. We werent disciplined enough to win a football game.

The two teams had something in common during the game, too: Both had to make adjustments due to injuries.

Neither could find the rhythm they wanted in the rushing game with their running backs out.

The Lions lost starter Tylor McLaughlin, who rushed for 162 yards last week, early in the second quarter.

Hes probably going to be out, our guard is probably going to be out and our quarterback I dont know, Marabito said. Were pretty-well dinged up. But its the next guy up. Thats what we always say.

With one of their starters in sweatpants on the sideline and another banged up in the first quarter, it took the Colts a while to get their running game going. Although once they did, they rolled up 247 yards on the ground.

We really couldnt find our groove, Northern Cambria coach Sam Shutty said. We challenged our guys just to play our game. And I dont want to say they took us out of the game, but not having Logan Onkst tonight really threw off our balance. We had some younger guys in there, tried to do a couple things with some older guys and move people around. But we just didnt execute very well.

When one of our guys go down, the other ones have to pick the load up. Ben (Vasil) got dinged up early, and I didnt know if we were going to have him, either. Then (Adam) Kopera came in and did a good job, but he wasnt quite proficient in what we wanted to do. Its just a lack of reps and a matter of getting better.

Mark Marino passed for 100 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 91 yards and a score to lead the Colts.

Right off the bat, Northern Cambria was experiencing dj vu. Last week, the Colts started the game on defense and allowed Penns Manor to drive right down the field. Friday night, the Colts started on defense and let the Lions march right down the field.

Theyre slow-starting, and thats the thing we have to improve, Shutty said of his defense. I know I get mad at them at a game, but when you watch film, they are very aggressive. They swarm to the ball. But we have to be faster off the start. We let them drive down the field opening drive. Last game, same thing right down the field. Then they tighten up and kind of get their legs and really get after it.

On the 10th play of the opening possession, Uniteds Kyle Silk seemingly was stopped at the line of scrimmage, but he broke loose for a 21-yard dash to the end zone. However, the touchdown was negated by what the officials said was a false start penalty, meaning the play should have been whistled dead before Silk ever took off. The two teams combined for 18 penalties.

On the next play, Silk mishandled a bad snap that was recovered by Northern Cambrias John Paronish, putting and end to the Lions early momentum.

That hurt. Those are things we didnt do last week, Marabito said. We were perfect with things like that. Tonight, things just didnt go our way.

The Colts capitalized, and Marino hit Frankie Jones for a 40-yard touchdown pass with 3:44 left in the first quarter to take a 6-0 lead.

In the second quarter, United turned the ball over on downs with 1:08 left at the Northern Cambria 21-yard line. The Colts cruised down the field and capped the drive with a 21-yard pass from Marino to Vasil as time expired, giving them a 14-0 advantage going into halftime. The touchdown was set up by a 34-yard pass from Marino to Paronish.

Northern Cambria passed just twice in the first week, but put the ball in the air 10 more times Friday. Marino finished 4-for-12.

This was something we watched on film. We thought wed have the pass, Shutty said. Protection I was worried about, and it showed early. But we were able to get some throws down field for big plays. And we dropped some big plays. Thats the trouble with that, so we have to get better there.

United tried to pass the ball more, too, and also threw 10 more passes Friday than in its first game. Silk finished 4 of 17 for 49 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

The Lions got on the board in the third quarter on a 10-yard pass from Silk to Nate Fabrizio at the 5:39 mark after the Colts fumbled on the opening drive of the second half.

Northern Cambria then answered with touchdowns on back-to-back drives a 10-yard run by Kopera and a 1-yard run by Marino and took a 28-6 lead with 9:06 remaining in the game.

The Lions scored on their final possession, a 13-yard run by Dom Eritano with 24 seconds left to finalize the score. Silk had to be helped off the field after the two-point conversion attempt failed.

It was gut-check time for us, Marabito said. A couple players got hurt, and you have to bounce back. But they have a good football team. We need to cut back on some mistakes. And if we couldve got that first score, it couldve been different, but thats part of the game. The kids played hard. I give them credit. But we have to clean up some of our mistakes.

Scott Yingling added 65 rushing yards for the Colts, and Vasil had 62. Eritano led United with 44 yards.

The Lions will try to rebound next week against a Penns Manor team that is also 1-1 after a come-from-behind win at West Shamokin on Friday.

Well see what type of football team we are, Marabito said. The mental attitude has got to be there, and I feel sure these kids will bounce back. Its a tough one to lose, but those are the ones you have to suck up and go with it.

Northern Cambria faces a daunting task against defending conference and District 6 Class 2A champ Ligonier Valley, which has carried its dominance from last season right through the first two weeks of this one. The Colts then face Homer-Center in their fourth game.

This is what happened last year, Shutty said. We started out 2-0 and we just get into that meat grinder. And these werent easy games. Were banged up. Injuries the first game, injuries this game. And its only going to get tougher.

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Colts pull away from Lions to move to 2-0 - Indiana Gazette

Owen Quinn SUBMITTED PHOTO

HOLDEN One year removed from Wachusett Regional High, Holdens 2016 graduate Owen Quinn has learned valuable lessons in the game of golf, many from his coaches and teammates on the Lehigh University golf team, but some much closer to home.

Quinn, a two-year golf team captain and three-year team MVP for the Mountaineers averaged just 38.9 strokes per nine holes over his four year high school career and was recognized across the region as one of the top up-and-coming golfers. His dad, Fran, most know, has been a professional golfer for decades and has achieved impressive results while on tour. He has competed in the PGA Tour, Web.Com Tour, Asian Tour, Nationwide Tour and the Champions Tour. What better way to learn the nuances of golf than to have home-grown advice coupled with that of the skilled coaches and teammates at a Division 1 school?

My dad has pretty much taught me everything you could be taught about the game of golf from just the basics of a golf swing to the attitude on the course and course management, said Quinn. Ive learned a lot of course management and attitude by carrying for him both in the US Open (2014 US Open in Pinehurst, North Carolina) and other tournaments and you see how professional golfers go about their business in tournament play. I learned so much from him not even teaching me, just watching him. Hes really been my biggest supporter and has always cheered me on.

My mindset to golf has been changed since I began to play at Lehigh because you have to realize that every shots not life or death. You hit a bad shot and its like whatever you go and find it and you hit it again. Its changed my attitude some in that respect and I think its made me a better player.

When I caddie for my dad and see him and other Tour players, you never see guys getting super mad at one bad shot and if they are, theyre probably not very good. You just have to realize that youre not going to hit every shot perfectly. Making your notso good shots playable is what you have to do and Ive focused more on that. I have to keep moving forward when I make a bad shot because its not the end of the world.

If you hit a lot of bad shots, it can be frustrating but you have to keep telling yourself that youre going to hit a good one. My dad always says that if I miss a putt for birdie from fifteen feet, it doesnt matter. Youre going to have another putt in ten minutes. Thats the attitude you have to have. You can have the strongest mental game but if you dont have a good golf swing, you cant be that good. But if you have the best golf swing in the world but you have the wrong mental attitude, you have no chance also.

Quinn became a fast learner upon his arrival at Lehigh and realized that the competition was going to be intense and undeniably challenging, but hard work and his aptitude to learn from others paved the way. He competed in all 22 rounds and ranked third on the Mountain Hawks with a 75.36 stroke average while leading his team in two tournaments. He tied for the team lead with three individual rounds in the 60s and capped the season off with a blistering 67 in the final round of the Patriot League Championship where he tied for thirteenth place overall at 214. And just for good measure, Quinn, a business and economics major, was named to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll as a follow-up to his National Honor Society membership at WRHS.

Owens just a great kid. He has a very positive attitude and hes always thinking about his teammates and encouraging them if theyve had a tough round, said Lehigh head golf coach Henry DAlberto. His family background and the fact that hes been around the game of golf his whole life helps a lot. I think thats one big reason that hes made the transition to Division 1 golf so well. Hell be a co-captain as a sophomore and hes earned it. Hes just a very special kid.

Once you go to a Division 1 college, everybodys a good player and the competitions great, remarked Quinn of the big step up into the top tier of college golf. It wasnt too intimidating because I feel like a lot of the tournaments I play in during the summer are against younger junior players who all went on to college and it kind of prepared me for that. It was more of an adjustment to the time put in with practice time and just the mindset of a team nature thats looking to win tournaments. Its a different mindset but at the end of the day, youre still playing golf.

Quinn has been active in area tournaments this summer including the Worcester County Amateur where he finished fourth, the Quimet Memorial and US Amateur Qualifier, the latter of which he shot 75-74 and just missed the cut. Besides tournaments he is committed to practice and can be found on courses nearly seven days a week.

If were going to want to play at the level of competition that we do, were going to have to practice every day, he said. But its enjoyable. Its a lot of work, but its good work.

It will be days, not weeks now, before Quinn heads back to Pennsylvania coal country to rejoin teammates and coaches at Lehigh. He is laserfocused on helping his team in fall and spring golf and when leaving central Mass, he is less likely to hear the question asked of him time and again by well-meaning friends and acquaintances, that being what the future looks like in terms of possibly making a career of the sport he loves.

I would love to follow in my dads footsteps, he said. Im going to have to start playing a little better if I want to do that but I have some time. Im only going to be a sophomore but before too much longer I should have a better idea if thats reasonable or not. Ive fortunately been able to see what it does take to make it out there. I know exactly what I need to do if I was ever going to make it. I just need to put in the time and put in the work and hopefully someday itll happen.

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Quinn reflects on first year in Division 1 golf | The Landmark - The Landmark

A Thatcham-based cheerleading squad could scoop a coveted Pride of Reading Award after receiving no fewer than 16 nominations.

Crimson Heat Tigers are one of the UKs premier cheerleading teams with multiple national and international championship wins.

And on May 7 in Orlando, Florida, they pipped the Americans to the post by becoming the 2017 Summit Junior World Champions.

Chairman Gary Ayckbourn, 48, said: Crimson Heat was set up seven years ago in 2010, with only 10 girls, no equipment and a simple vision of trying to focus on the positives that sport brings building a winning team mentality.

"Over the years, we have been able to prove that with the right mental attitude, hard work, determination and teamwork, you can achieve anything.

The squad boasts five teams, with more than 100 members, aged from five to 25, the majority being from Reading and some as far afield as Bristol and Essex.

But their success is not just about beating the Americans at their own game, as many of the nominations for the Crimson Heat Tigers are for how the coaches and volunteers look after well-being of their team members.

Mum Claire Lunnon, from Padworth, said: Coaches Gareth Green and Delph Ayckbourn deserve to be named Community Champions as Crimson Heat are an amazing, inspiring cheerleading team that support, mentor, encourage and young girls in the community.

First and foremost, they ensure the children are performing well at school and then they take them under their wing and train them to become young athletes.

My shy six-year-old daughter is a member and although isn't naturally athletic, the team has taken her under their wing, and each week her confidence builds. A credit to our community.

Cheerleader Hannah Lumbar, from East Reading, also nominated the coaches as Community Champions, saying: I have only been on for one season and it has changed my life.

"They are my family and an inspiration to many people. Crimson Heat do so much charity work that always goes unrecognised but changes lives.

Claire Bird from Thatcham said: The coaches are the kindest, most giving people I've ever met.

"They encourage all abilities and have an SEN [special educational needs] team working alongside Kennet School.

Nominations were also sent in by Debbi Enticknap, from Shinfield, Bristols Rachel Sheldon, Stephanie Tayler and Karen Wichard, James Wild from Newbury, Pauline Dean from Tilehurst, East Readings Hollie Lumbar and Katie Taylor, Martyn Gavaghan and Jon-Paul Baldock, both from Calcot, and Michelle Paice, from Upper Bucklebury.

Proud coaches Glory Carlisle and Megan Maynard also nominated the squad and its volunteers.

On being told of The Crimson Heat Tigers multiple Pride of Reading nominations, Mr Ayckbourn said: Being nominated as a club for the Pride of Reading awards makes me incredibly proud and humble.

"Not for me, but for the recognition of the incredible team people who make up the Crimson Heat management and coaching staff, all of whom are unpaid volunteers, and all of whom give their time and incredible dedication to the ethos of the program and to develop and support these young athletes.

Winning world and national titles is great, and is a tangible recognition of the hard work and dedication of our incredible athletes and coaches.

"However, what makes me the proudest, are the things you dont see.

"The difference we make to these young peoples lives.

"Seeing a young girl walk into the gym with limited confidence and self-esteem and watching them grow and blossom and knowing that we are an integral part of their personal journey.

Of being there for them when they need us most, actively encouraging them to open up about issues that affect them, yet most importantly, being there, night and day if required, to support them, get them the help they need and seeing this through to the end.

The Community Champion Award is sponsored by Broad Street Mall, the Young Person of the Year Award by the University of Reading, and the Volunteer/s of the Year Award by AB Walker.

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Pride of Reading: Champion cheerleaders prove anything is possible with determination - getreading

One thing is certain in any business not everyone you have to deal with will be like you, or will like you (and vice versa). These people may include one of your business partners, an investor, a key vendor, or even one of your best customers. In my role as a business advisor, I see more and more how business people must bridge these differences to accomplish shared business goals.

We have all heard the stories of business disasters that result from people who are so different that they cant get along. Some of these are legendary, including the Steve Jobs differences with John Sculley. Some are more current, such as the travails of Uber investors challenging founder Travis Kalanick, and the daily political leadership struggles surrounding President Donald Trump.

On a more positive note, as the business world becomes a global space, all of us have to learn to live and work with people of very different cultures, religions, political opinions, as well as different generations and genders. You have to manage and operate within more and more diverse teams, and your success in a career, or in building your business, depends on it.

Thus I was pleased to see these challenges addressed directly in a new book, How to Work With and Lead People Not Like You, by Kelly McDonald, a well-known marketing and communications expert who specializes in multicultural and diversity marketing. She offers a set of strategies and tools for communicating across cultural and other barriers, including people you dont like:

In all cases, its important to be positive and maintain a can-do attitude. People avoid negativity and they are drawn to positivity. You can become a role model, a leader, and an ally for many team members which will lead to breakthroughs and results with even the most non-compatible situations. A positive mental attitude will also improve your health, and add years to your life.

Just remember that you have a business or a career to run. Experts are convinced that a diverse workforce, including people with different values and different perspectives, leads to better decisions and solutions ultimately growing business opportunities, profits, and satisfaction. Diversity isnt going away. Learn to deal with it now, and be the leader you always wanted to be.

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5 Principles For Working With Someone You Don't Like - HuffPost

Attitude is everything. Someone once said life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.

Bottom linethe attitude you have is more about the attitude you have chosen. When you find that you've worked your way into a negative mindset, you have what it takes to also work your way back out. No one can do this for you.A negative attitude is like an automobile without gas. If you dont take the initiative to add fuel to the tank youre not going to get where you want to go.

You can truly change your environment by changing the way you look at it. In an instant, by realizing you have the power, you can reverse the negative force by injecting new positive energy and enthusiasm into your life.

In what kind of environment do you wish to live? In this very moment of time, you can adopt an attitude that will make that environment appear before your very eyes. All it takes is a conscious personal effort.

No doubt much of what happens all around you is out of your control.And yet you can completely control what is most important and meaningful in your life. You can decide for yourself what it all means. And you can choose what to make of it all.

The question that must be answered is Do you want to stay in your current mental state of negativity or are you ready to live life completely on your own terms, with positive purpose and passion?" Thomas Jefferson said, Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.

The decision is yours to make.When you are ready to change things around all thats needed is to change your attitude from negative to positive. Its all about power and you have what it takes to make a significant change in your life and the lives of those who surround your world.

Think about it

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Jim's Gems: Attitude is Everything - Quality Magazine (blog)

When youre five over par after three holes and staring a big water hazard in the face at the next, youd be forgiven for thinking its not going to be your day.

Thankfully for Hazlemere member John Newall, a positive mental attitude helped him win Bridgestone Tyres aptly named Chase Your Dream Trophy final qualifier at the home of England Golf, which takes him to the pro-am of the Bridgestone Challenge at Luton Hoo on September 6.

The 11 handicapper is now just one step away from potentially playing with Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia or another star of the European Tour at the pro-am of the British Masters supported by Sky Sports at Close House on September 27, as a result.

The newly crowned Male Handicap Golfer of the Year, who qualified with eight other players in the field, will play in the pro-am of the Bridgestone Challenge, the English leg of The Challenge Tour, at Luton Hoo. Theyll be joined by the top nine players from the companion womens championship, making up a total of six teams in the pro-am.

If his team wins there, he will be preparing to tee the ball up at one of the most prestigious courses in England with a household name of the European Tour.

John, who only scraped into the final qualifier at Woodhall Spa in Lincolnshire by the skin of his teeth, said: I was five over after three holes after travelling all this way and was thinking this round could be ending before it had begun.

I got to the fourth hole, hit a magic drive which left me 200yds to the green and pulled out the 5 wood to stick it on the green. There was a water hazard up there but I just went for it and that shot kick started my round.

The Bridgestone Tyres Chase your Dream Trophy is an annual event open to members of England Golfs 1,900 affiliated clubs and features separate competitions for men and women.

The 42-year-old added: Its called the Chase Your Dream Trophy which was appropriate, as this whole experience has been a dream, thanks to Bridgestone and England Golf.

What they have done is incredible. The giant leaderboard, the facilities, the professionalism, everything. Bridgestone has created a competition to give us little guys a chance to live like a professional. They have basically allowed us guys to chase our own dreams.

John said he was already allowing himself to think ahead to the pro-am of the British Masters supported by Sky Sports on September 27.

I was willing Sergio Garcia to win the Masters at Augusta earlier in the year. Now here I am, a round away from possibly playing with him. It really is quite incredible.

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Hazlemere's John Newell is one step away from a date with Sergio ... - Bucks Free Press

Photo Credit: Artist David Roberts

Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude. -Thomas Jefferson

God prefaces many of His commandments with the line when you enter the land, meaning, many of these commandments need to wait until were in the Promised Land or are somehow dependent on the land itself. However, after one of these common introductions God goes on to give an unusually specific location and direction as to where the people of Israel should go and what they should do there.

He orders them to congregate at the twin mountains of Gerizim and Ebal next to the city of Shechem. There, in what turns out to be a massive natural amphitheater, the assembled nation of Israel are to proclaim the blessings that will be accorded to themselves and their descendants should they listen to Gods commandments, as well as the curses that will befall them should they choose to ignore Gods directives. What is physically unusual about the setting is that although the two mountains are almost identical in their shape, size, location and elevation, Mount Gerizim is verdant and alive; Mount Ebal is barren and desolate. Not surprisingly, the blessings were uttered upon Mount Gerizim, the curses on Mount Ebal.

Rabbi Hirsch on Deuteronomy 11:29 elaborates:

Both of them rise from the same soil, both are watered by the same precipitation rain and dew. The same air passes over them both; the same pollen is blown over them both. Yet Ebal remains starkly barren, while Gerizim is covered with lush vegetation to its very top.

Thus we see that blessings and curses are not dependent on external circumstances. Hence, whether we are blessed or cursed is not dependent on the superficial conditions that are imposed upon us, but on how we deal with them on our attitude

Whether we are blessed or cursed is not dependent on any outside force. Our fate doesnt rely on good or bad luck. Happenstance should not determine our inner reality. The opposite is true. Our attitude, how we see the world, how we perceive things, how we react, how we internalize the reality around us, that will determine whether we are blessed or cursed. It is completely in our hands.

May we be grateful for the blessings in our lives and see it as such.

Shabbat Shalom

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TORAH SHORTS: Weekly Biblical Thoughts: Parshat Re'eh - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com

A recent study published in theJournal of Personality and Social Psychologyand reported byEmotion Researchersurveyed nearly 1,300 American adults to better understand the relationship between accepting our emotions and mental health.

(Photo: ABC)

Iris Mauss, a professor of psychology at UC Berkeley and principal investigator in the study explained: "We found that people who habitually accept their negative emotions experience fewer negative emotions, which adds up to better psychological health."

While it's difficult to say exactly why that is, she think that when we accept negative emotions, we normalize them and give them less attention. According to Mauss, "if youre constantly judging your emotions, the negativity can pile up."

Those who resist their emotions or judge them are more likely to experience mood swings than those who accept feelings of sadness, disappointment and bitterness.

As Brett Ford, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Toronto, explains in an article available on the UC Berkeley site, "People who accept these emotions without judging or trying to change them are able to cope with their stress more successfully."

Three different tests were conducted on diverse groups of people, both in the lab and online, taking into account their age, gender, socio-economic status and other demographic variables.

"Its easier to have an accepting attitude if you lead a pampered life, which is why we ruled out socio-economic status and major life stressors that could bias the results," Mauss said.

In the first study, approximately 1,000 participants were given a questionnaire in which they had to rate how strongly they agreed with the following statement: "I tell myself I shouldnt be feeling the way that Im feeling." In general, those who did not feel bad about their feelings had higher levels of well-being.

In the second study, 150 people participated in a simulated job interview in which they had to describe their strengths and talents by giving a three-minute-long videotaped speech in front of a panel, after being allowed only ten minutes to prepare.

The participants then rated how they felt afterward. Those with a tendency to avoid their negative emotions had more difficulty with the test and showed higher levels of anxiety than those who were used to accepting their emotions.

Finally, over 200 people were invited to keep a journal about their most difficult experiences over a two-week period. Six months later, they were interviewed about their mental health, and no surprise those who had denied their emotions in regard to difficult experiences reported more symptoms of mood disorders than the others.

The next step for the researchers will be to examine factors such as culture and education to better understand why some people are more inclined to accept their emotions than others. As Mauss explained:

"By asking parents about their attitudes about their childrens emotions, we may be able to predict how their children feel about their emotions, and how that might affect their childrens mental health."

(Photo: ABC)

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Accepting Negative Emotions Is Better For Mental Health, Study ... - Konbini