He says "Hey Coach, good to see you." Then gives me a handshake and hug like he always does when we cross paths. Upon backing away, Coach Knox says "Everything okay, you look mad."
I told Coach Knox that one of my wrestlers had just lost a match and he said "I understand, I've been there."
We parted ways, but his words "You look mad" stuck in my head and wouldn't leave. At this point I knew a decision had to be made about how I was feeling and what message I was projecting onto others.
That's when the thought hit me... I'm going to choose to be happy right now!
In all honesty, I can't tell you that I'll ever be "happy" when one of my wrestlers loses a match. But I can tell you I have the ability to decide how long I let a negative emotion control me and hold me hostage. I can tell you that my perspective on a match and the right mental choice can put a smile back on my face.
Looking back at the match, I was proud of how my wrestler battled and left it on the mat. I also love that wrestler win or lose. So, why was I so mad and wearing a frown?
There are two reasons I can think of right away:
1. Losing is not fun, never will be and that's that.
2. I have trained my mind for years to utterly hate the feeling of losing and also to create a negative emotional state when a loss occurs.
There are two reasons I can think of right away:
1. Losing is not fun, never will be and that's that.
2. I have trained my mind for years to utterly hate the feeling of losing and also to create a negative emotional state when a loss occurs.
The good news... there is hope! There is hope because I know if I can train my brain one way, then I can train it another way as well. Science has proven the mind is pliable and malleable. We can re-train our brain! This takes making a choice on our part and then acting upon it, which is not always easy, but is very possible.
I also know for certain that walking around mad doesn't do anyone any good. It makes me feel bad and others can sense the bad mood as well. I quickly realized that if Coach Knox could sense my bad mood, then my wrestlers can sense it as well (and that's not fair to them). They need their coach to be on top of his game and ready to help them succeed.
Okay, back to Coach Knox...
I'm walking down the same narrow aisle about 30 minutes after I first ran into Coach Knox and we had our brief conversation. This time he sees me and says "There it is, that smile is back! That's what I like to see Coach Parks!"
Now my brain starts running 100 miles per hour and I start thinking about how this situation connects to life outside of wrestling.
We all have situations in life that bring us down, make us mad, or evoke other negative emotions. When these situations happen, we have the power to make a choice. We can choose to stay in a negative state of mind and let it bring us down and also bring down those we are in contact with at the time.
On the other hand, we can choose to let go of the negative emotion and be happy. I know this is easier said than done and it might be a situation much more serious than losing a wrestling match. But, the choice is still yours and you have to decide if you want to reside in a negative state of mind or rise above it. That's what it ultimately boils down to, it's your decision.
On the other hand, we can choose to let go of the negative emotion and be happy. I know this is easier said than done and it might be a situation much more serious than losing a wrestling match. But, the choice is still yours and you have to decide if you want to reside in a negative state of mind or rise above it. That's what it ultimately boils down to, it's your decision.
My hope is that someone reads this blog post today and makes a choice to let go of the anger, hurt, pain, fear or whatever negative emotion might be holding you hostage.
I hope you choose to be happy today and let the world say "There it is, that smile is back! That's what I like to see!"
I hope you choose to be happy today and let the world say "There it is, that smile is back! That's what I like to see!"
God Bless,
Coach P
P.S. Thank You Coach Charles Knox, you are the man!
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