Anger is not as good as ambition: How to have a relaxed and composed mind

Author: Jin Ge
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: The success of an archery world champion largely depends on his mindset. Every time he shoots, he raises his bow, his eyes fixed on the bullseye 30 yards away. At that moment, nothing except the bullseye can attract his attention. He draws the bowstring, his eyes on the target, calmly and swiftly assessing his physical and mental state. If he feels anything is off, he sets the bow down, relaxes, and tries again. If everything checks out, he aims at the bullseye and confidently lets the arrow fly, knowing he will hit the bullseye. This calm confidence, this perfect state of being, isn’t necessarily exclusive to sports superstars. It’s only when a sports star is in this optimal competitive mindset that he can win. And when his mindset isn’t strong, he may lose his usual prowess, even to an unknown challenger. Similarly, even an athlete with average performance can achieve remarkable results and defeat technically skilled stars who are in poor shape when they are in their optimal mindset. In fact, we all have this mindset, though sometimes we may not realize it. Mindset comes in two types: positive and negative. A positive mindset unleashes potential, attracts wealth, success, happiness, and health. A negative mindset repels these things, takes away everything from life, trapping a person in a rut. Even if they reach the peak, it drags them down. The characteristics of a positive mindset are confidence, hope, honesty, love, and stability, while the characteristics of a negative mindset are pessimism, disappointment, and self-doubt. World champion Michael Phelps is a person with a positive mindset. Even at a young age, when he would watch Olympic competitions on TV, his heart was full of dreams, dreaming of the success to come. In 1984, an opportunity arose. He became one of the world’s best swimmers in his favored sport, but at the Los Angeles Olympics, he only won silver, and his dream of winning gold didn’t come true. Phelps returned to his dreams, to the pool, and threw himself back into training. This time, the goal was a gold medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Unexpectedly, his dream vanished in the Olympic trials, and he was eliminated. Like most people, Phelps became very discouraged. After that, he buried his dreams deep within and enrolled in law school at Cornell. For three years, he rarely swam. But a burning desire in his heart couldn’t be suppressed. Less than a year before the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Phelps decided to take one last gamble. In this young swimmers’ competition, he was an old-timer, like a modern Don Quixote with a spear attacking the windmills, his idea of winning the 100-meter butterfly race seemed utterly foolish. For Phelps, this was also a painful and difficult time, as his mother passed away from cancer. She wouldn’t be able to share in his victory; however, the spirit of honoring her memory strengthened his determination and will. Surprisingly, Phelps not only made the U.S. team but also won the preliminary rounds. His record was better than