Can’t Be Positive? Just Don’t Say Stupid Stuff
For some of us, positivity just isn’t in our nature or there are situations in the sport we play that it is almost impossible to switch our minds into the positive.
If we can’t overcome that negative mindset, there might be a way to minimize the negative impact it could have on us and our teams.
How so? Well, according to a study by Christine Porath of Georgetown University, thoughts spoken aloud hold far more impact than those left unsaid. She found that while positive thoughts spoken aloud carry 10x more power than those left as thoughts, she was surprised to find that negativity acts a multiplier — 4 to 7 times to be exact. Meaning, that when we speak negative thoughts aloud, we are increasing the probability of an outcome different from what we want by 40–70%!
Trevor Moawad, a former sports psychologist who worked with elite college football programs and professional athletes, has a saying he shares with his athletes based on the results of this study, which is, “Don’t say stupid s***.” For our purposes we will switch that to “Don’t say stupid stuff.”
So, the next time you are having a bad game/practice, are worried about an upcoming opponent who has beaten you time and time again, or any other situation that puts you in a negative mindset you just can’t get out of, do you and your team a favor, don’t express those negative thoughts aloud. In doing this simple step, you are reducing the impact those thoughts might have had by 40%-70%.
Don’t say stupid stuff.
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