COACHING MENTAL EXCELLENCE

The Mind is the Battlefield

This is the first of three articles designed to help you develop a blueprint for improved performance and achievement. According to Chris Voss, former FBI negotiator and co-author of Never Split the Difference, “the brain works up to 31% better when operating from a positive frame of mind.” Therefore, it is important to make good thinking a habit! Neuroscience indicates that the first three to six thoughts upon awakening can determine the trajectory of the day. As a human performance specialist and coach of over 33 years I’ve learned that the quality of your joy cannot exceed the quality of your thoughts. I have also learned that we have the innate power to make each day a glorified exhibition of brilliance.

WINNING THE DAY

My friends, if the goal is to win the day, you must first win the morning. More accurately it is imperative to win the 1st hour of your morning. According to Napoleon Bonaparte, there are 15 minutes in every battle that will determine the outcome of the war. To win the day, it is important to identify your 15 minutes. For many that battle takes place first thing in the morning and shows up in the form of negative internal self-talk, fear, condemnation, competing agendas and internal conflicts. It is a battle that takes place in the mind therefore the mind is the battlefield. THE GREAT NEWS

Every morning, upon awakening, you have access to new baby nerve cells which were born while you slept. This is called NEUROGENESIS. These new cells are at your disposal and can be used in tearing down toxic thoughts and rebuilding healthy thoughts. Thought management is an important part of the AM ritual and thought selection is critical. Your brain processes between 45-60k thoughts per day, with up to 80% of them being repetitive. Please note the following: • Our minds are always eavesdropping on our self-talk. • Our lives move in the direction of our most dominant thought. • Our biography (internal narrative) becomes our biography (physiology). • Every action is preceded by a thought. • Success or failure is typically one thought away.” DETERMINE THE AM BLUEPRINT BACKGROUND

The first step in creating a world class day is to determine your AM blueprint background. For the next several days, upon awakening, before you do or say anything, lie still and pay attention to what you are thinking. This is called Metacognition or “thinking about thinking.” It is important to pay attention to your internal narrative (internal selftalk) and become aware of the first three to six thoughts. At any given moment you are either selling yourself on yourself or selling yourself out. Ask yourself the following questions: • What were my first three to six thoughts upon awakening? • Were they positive, negative, or neutral? • Was I greeted by a chorus of despair? • Did my compliments outnumber my complaints or vice-versa? • Did I sell myself on myself or did I see myself out? Answering these questions will help determine your AM blueprint background. Recognizing your internal narrative is the first step in taming the freeloader that occupies the fertile soil of your mind, which will allow you to take the first step toward winning your day. Here is a recap for step one in creating your AM Ritual. • Upon awakening, lie still and pay attention to what you are thinking. • Determine whether your thoughts are positive, negative, or neutral. • Write down the first three to six thoughts. Wishing you the best of everything, my name is Charmas Lee, and I build Champions

ABOUT CHARMAS LEE

For more than 33 years, Charmas Lee has been challenging individuals to transform their lives through his dynamic brand of facilitated introspection, motivation, and personal development. Charmas is the co-owner of Believe and Perform like Champions, a business that specializes in creating winning organizations, cultures, and mindsets. Charmas speaks to Vistage groups across the country and has been featured on several podcasts including Bob Roark’s highly acclaimed Business Leaders Podcast. Charmas has co-authored and published 7 books, written various technical articles for the national publication of USA Track and Field and has twice been a TEDx speaker. Charmas Lee is a high-performance coach, public speaker, author, and sports and fitness professional. Charmas is a Certified Registered Exercise Physiologist, Certified Strength, and Conditioning Specialist and Certified Level 3 USA Track and Field Coach, qualified to coach athletes at the Olympic level.

Gifts &

Dining

Understanding Wine

By Trystan Brown, Sommelier at Vine & Wheel

To some, wine can seem overly complex and intimidating. Words get thrown around – like tannin, acid, body, complexity, and length – but what do these terms mean? Read on to learn a bit more about some of the core elements of wine.

Overall, there are many components to wine, and producing an attractive, finished wine all comes down to how these components are balanced. The big question is: What creates flavor? A common misconception is that, when wine smells or tastes of, say, raspberries, those characteristics come from adding raspberries to the wine.

However, those attributes all originate from grapes and grapes alone. Wine is made up of several hundred aroma and flavor compounds that result in different smells and tastes.

Two common compounds are called pyrazine and rotundone. Pyrazine is typically found in Sauvignon Blanc and results in an herbaceous character, commonly labeled as grassy or similar to bell peppers. Rotundone is the compound responsible for the black pepper aroma in your Syrah. Think of these like the seasoning in your cooking! Pyrazine and rotundone, along with many other compounds, create interesting and potentially desirable traits in your glass.

There are other traits that affect the way we perceive and enjoy wine. Components such as tannin create a dry chalkiness in your mouth, as in a rich Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon or dense South Australian Shiraz. Acidity helps to prevent a wine from being overly clawing and flabby, while sweetness helps create lush textures and supports rich stone fruit flavors. With the right quantities of each of these, you get a phenomenal drinking experience. Try a Spatlese Riesling from Mosel, Germany, to see what I mean.

Even more important than terms to describe wine, what do you like to drink? The best way to find out what suits you is to be adventurous; try new wines from new countries, grab a bottle of a variety you’ve never heard of, and have fun. That being said, if you ever want to talk through different wines and enjoy a few glasses, come down to Vine & Wheel and see me. I’m always excited to introduce people to new wines!