Champions and choke artists
Nerves are beautiful. The feeling in your stomach. The pounding in your heart. The shaking of your hands and legs. It's all a sign. A sign that you care about what you're doing. Having something to care about is a blessing. It's important to never forget this.
Now, back to nerves. They either prime you to perform at your best. Or destroy you to perform at your worst. The champion and the choke artist are the same. They're separated by one thing. Mindset. Champions play the game for the nerves. They have a twisted addiction to the feeling of them. Harnessing the power of intense energy to perform at peak levels is the game behind the game that they love so much.
But the choke artist thinks nerves are bad. They try to run from them. They freak out when their heart starts pounding. They get lost thinking about what can go wrong. Negativity consumes them, and it becomes more and more intense as they go down the spiral. They choke. They freeze. They lose.
So, how do you be the champion, even if you're a choke artist? By not trying to fight the nerves. You won't win. Instead, embrace them. Drop the importance of whatever is going on. Observe how your body is reacting. Notice all the energy that's building up. Take deep breaths. Think about your desired outcome. Visualize it. Then realize that life goes on, no matter what. Let your instincts take over. Trust your preparation. And smile.