Books worth reading

I just finished this one:

With Selection coming up fast, I have been searching out books on mental toughness, mental preparation and mental training.  This was a great one. 

I listened to this one while driving mostly but also on a long row.  It was full of stories from Olympic champions and other athletes that could help any athlete, regardless of level.  I fully intend on getting my kids to listen to this book as well.

With some books, the narrator can enhance or spoil, entirely, the experience for you.  The narrator in this audio did a great job and carried the story nicely.

I think that listening to one or 2 chapters at a time is probably the best way to fully digest the information rather than doing a marathon session.  Tons of great quotes are littered through this book and there are take away lessons for just about anyone; athlete or not.

I particularly liked the section on injuries and setbacks as I am going through one of my own currently.  So many amazing stories were recounted of athletes experiencing serious injury at their peak, but staying mentally strong and coming back 4 years later to win a gold medal.  These athletes used a disadvantage and made it an advantage, which has always been something that I encourage and have experienced in my own life.  Combined with extreme patience, they were able to make their dream a reality.

These stories provide motivation and inspiration to anyone experiencing any kind of obstacles in their lives or striving to reach a goal.

The one big takeaway for me in this book was something that the author went back to continually.  If you can see or admire greatness in someone else, you are only able to do that if you, too, have some of that same trait within yourself.  Interesting...

If you like these kind of books, check this one out.