In November 2003, Jonny Wilkinson scored the points that won the rugby union world cup for England. Millions watched spellbound as he aimed a drop kick at the Australian posts. He had already missed three drop kicks.

This kick went over. England had won. Jonny immediately became a hero to millions. Four years later, in 2007, the cup is being played for again. This time, teams will compete in France rather than in Australia.

Since the historic 2003 victory by England, Jonny has had one injury after another preventing him from playing for his club or for England. However, he is currently fit and able to play. Every England supporter hopes he will play in France.

Jonny is a thoughtful and articulate hero who is capable of analyzing the reasons for his success. Success is important to him but he does not depend on success for his happiness. As long as he puts in enough work to deserve success, he is reasonably content:

“I can’t always succeed but I can always deserve to.”

Jonny is a great fly half and a ferocious tackler but a huge part of his value to his team lies in his goal kicking abilities. He is one of the most reliable and accurate kickers in the world. He can be relied on to kick penalty goals, try conversions and drop goals (the point scoring kicks in rugby union).

He maintains his kicking ability by constant practice. This is done mainly on his own. As he plays for Newcastle in the North East of England, he often has to train in cold and inhospitable conditions. It would be easy to go home early.

Who would know? Jonny has a typical answer to this question:

“I would. Cutting corners is not my way. I reason that if I train harder and better than anyone else, I will come out on top. Others might get lucky every now and again but, the way I look at it, life has to provide a reward for all the effort in the end.”

He is willing to give up the pleasures enjoyed by most of his fellows so that he can spend more time on the training field. Drinking after the game has always been a huge part of the culture of rugby. It is not part of Jonny’s culture!

The last time Jonny drank alcohol was in June 2003. After the world cup victory in November, he only drank a couple of diet cokes to celebrate.

Jonny realizes that the benefits of a hard training session can be lost by eating unhealthy food afterwards. Major keys to achieving success, in general, are staying alive and keeping healthy and this means eating healthy food.

Jonny does not eat sweets, biscuits or chocolate. He even passes gifts of Easter eggs on to someone else! He does not allow himself to take even one bite. He would regret such a bite as a sign of mental weakness.

Like the scouts, whose motto is ‘Be Prepared’ Jonny believes in preparing for each game by practice and more practice. He sums up his views with another memorable phrase:

“Preparation is power.”

Jonny has been accused of being an obsessive. At the world cup, someone described him as a ‘basket case’. He accepts this description because he believes you have to prepare obsessively if you want victory:

“When I go out on the pitch, I want to look at my opposite number and feel as if I am stronger, quicker and better than he is. I need to believe that whatever he throws at me, I will be more than equal to it. For that to happen, I have to prepare obsessively.”

Many people give up on their dream of becoming an expert when the constant repetition needed to reach the level of a master or mistress becomes boring.

They don’t realize that overcoming this boredom and just focusing on what they have to do is the only way to achieve the reward of mastery. The result of hours of effort and boring repetition is anything but boring.

The skater falls on his or her backside hundreds of times before we see them gliding effortlessly like gods and goddesses around the ice rink. They practice the same moves over and over again until they look natural and graceful.

In 2003 all the boring work that Jonny had put in led to a drop goal which changed Jonny’s world and his team mates’ world. They were now world champions.

That glorious and world famous drop kick was not the result of luck. It was the result of one boring repetition after another as Jonny practiced kick after kick after every one else had gone home.

Some people stop practising because they are no longer ‘enjoying the training’. They do not realize that enjoyment comes and goes and that most of the enjoyment comes from the results of their training.

I never really enjoyed playing in rugby matches because, as a forward, you seldom had a chance to run with the ball. You spent all your time shoving and pushing and struggling with the opposition to get hold of the ball so that the backs could run with it and take the glory of scoring a try.

Quite often, they would drop the hard won ball or fail to pass it on at the right moment and the whole process would start again. However, after the game was over, I loved the feeling of having made an all out effort. Of course, your enjoyment was much greater if your team had won the game.

Training in the martial arts can be boring and even painful but, eventually, if you keep going, the boring training results in the satisfaction of achieving your black belt.

The day after I gained my first Taekwondo black belt was a day of joy in spite of the fact that I had to roll out of my bed in a straight line because of the pain in my side where I had been kicked in the ribs.

All the training and effort then seemed worthwhile. A black belt does not mean you are invulnerable but it does symbolize the fact that you have trained very hard to achieve a worthwhile goal and have succeeded.

We can all set similar goals and enjoy the euphoria and the sense of improved skill and power that comes with achieving them.

Jonny would work on his place kicking (when the ball is kicked from the ground) after a day of light training. He didn’t put a time limit on these sessions and some would last as long as three hours.

After a heavy day’s training, he would practice his drop kicks (when the ball bounces just before or as you kick it). He would kick at least twenty with his left foot and twenty with his right.

He describes his training during the world cup tournament itself:

“I made sure I hit forty drop goals every day, twenty off each foot, so by the time of the final, I had probably kicked something like 7,000 drop goals in four months.”

Jonny plays the odds. He believes that the harder he works, the more likely he is to succeed. But there are no guarantees of success. He missed his first three drop goal attempts against Australia.

However, he believes that the scales will eventually balance. He will, in the end, get out of the match the energy that he puts in.

His fourth drop goal went over. It is probably the most famous drop goal in history.

Jonny is now followed every where by photographers. He does not want; nor does he enjoy fame. He would play rugby ‘if only one man and his dog was watching’. He loves the game for its own sake.

What were the secrets of his success? They are not really secrets at all. Like most ’secrets’ they have been known to humans since the start of history. However, they are still secrets to those who are not yet aware of them:

You cannot guarantee success but you can do the work necessary to deserve success.

You should be prepared to practice your core skills even if this means boring repetition in a tough and lonely environment after every one else has gone home. Accept that boredom is inevitable at times when learning any skill.

Do not cut corners. Train or work harder than any one else. Eventually, the universe will reward you for your effort in some way or other.

Give up any pleasures that might hinder your improvement. Eat healthy food so that you do not destroy the benefits of your training. Avoid alcohol.

Prepare thoroughly even if other people think you are crazy. Preparation is power.

Enjoyment may not always come while you train but it will usually come as a result of your training.

Practice, sometimes, by setting a limit on what you plan to do and, at other times, do not set a limit.

Realize that celebrity is not important and will not last. Doing what you love, with one hundred percent effort, is far more important and the resulting satisfaction will last for the rest of your life.

To check out John Watson’s ebook on making the most of your abilities to achieve the life of your dreams, visit: http://www.motivationtoday.com/36_laws.php This ebook is full of practical ideas for reaching your goals. It also contains inspiring quotes, stories and ideas which can motivate you to make your dreams a reality.

Recently, I watched a You Tube extract from the Christian Film called ‘Facing The Giants’. The film is about a high school American Football team that achieves their goals after the coach, Grant Taylor, starts praying to God and begins to demand the best from his players whether they win or lose.

Dan Reeves, a great player and head coach in professional American Football, gave the film his seal of approval. He also commented:

“If you’re not a Christian, it will still appeal to you. It’s all about life.”

In the You Tube extract, Brock, one of the team, sounds defeatist about their next match. Coach Taylor calls him out and tells him to do the death crawl i.e crawl up the field on his hands and feet with a player lying on his back (back to back).

Brock asks the coach if he wants him to crawl 30 yards up the field. The coach replies that he thinks Brock can go 50 yards. Brock says he could do 50 yards but without anyone on his back. The coach does not agree:

“I think you can do 50 with Jeremy (another player) on your back but even if you can’t I want you to promise me you will give me your best.”

“OK”

“You’re going to give me your best?”

“I’m going to give you my best.”

“One more thing - I want you to do it blindfolded.”

“Why?”

“I don’t want you giving up at a certain point when you can go further.”

Jeremy gets on Brock’s back and off they go.

The coach gives constant encouragement and inspiration. He never stops talking so that negative thoughts cannot enter Brock’s mind:

“Give me your best. They’re you go, Brock. That’s it - a good start. A little bit left. A little bit left. That’s it. There you go, Brock.”

“Are we at the 20 yet?”

“Forget the 20. You give me your best; you keep going. Don’t stop!”

“I want to rest a second”

“Keep moving; keep moving; keep driving. Your very best; your very best. Keep going. There you go. There you go. Don’t quit. Keep your knees of the ground. Don’t quit till you got nothing left. Keep going; keep going. I want everything you got. You keep going. You’re doing good. You keep going. It’s all heart from here. You promised me your best. It’s all heart. Come on Brock. Give me more. You promised me your best. 20 more steps.”

Brock is groaning in agony but is still moving forward. Jeremy is managing to stay on his back. The coach never lets up:

“Keep going. Don’t quit. Don’t quit. You don’t quit on me. You keep going. 10 more steps. 10 more. 10 more. Keep going.”

“I can’t.”

“You can. You can. 2 more! 1 more!”

Brock collapses and gasps: “It’s got to be the 50.”

“Look up, Brock. You’re in the end zone!”

Brock looked up in total amazement. He had crawled 100 yards across the entire field. His team mates had stopped laughing and joking a long time before. They had gradually got to their feet and walked slowly after him. They looked on in awe from further down the field.

The coach wanted to make the most of the moment:

“Brock - you are the most influential player on this team. If you walk around defeated so will they. Don’t tell me you can’t give me more than I’ve been seeing. You just carried a 140 pound man across this whole field on your arms. Brock, I need you. God’s gifted you with the ability of leadership. Don’t waste it. Can I count on you?”

“Yes.”

Jeremy had been trying to interrupt for a while.

“What is it, Jeremy?”

“I weigh 160 pounds!”

Brock had done his best and had achieved excellence in the death crawl at least. He was now a role model and inspiration for the rest of his team. However, he would not have achieved his best without the help of his coach who expected and demanded the best from him.

John Steinbeck put it well:

“It is the nature of man to rise to greatness, if greatness is expected of him.”

Coach Taylor expected Brock’s best and if anyone gives their best they may well achieve greatness. Mike Brescia has pointed out the fact that if you give your best, you will become the best since so few people give their best. Give your best and you will become a leader. You will have the power to make a difference.

The Coach extracted a firm commitment from Brock to do his best and blindfolded him so that he would not accept any artificial limitations on his own power. He then encouraged and urged him to do his best. He expected him to do his best.

He kept up a non stop flow of positive words which did not allow Brock to harbor any negative thoughts for long. His encouragement became more intense as Brock felt more and more pain.

The coach ended up on his knees as he encouraged Brock’s huge effort and at the end of the field he, too, was flat out on the ground. The best go the extra mile and are not content with mediocrity, or even the good. Both the coach and Brock gave their best.

The best believe they can achieve big goals. They welcome competition because they know that competition will keep them from getting lazy. They welcome competition because it will help them discover the huge reservoirs of power and ability inside themselves.

The best decide what is the best thing to do and do it first. Chris Widener puts it in a nutshell:

“The best have habits and discipline that get them to the top by doing the best things and doing them first.”

You and I may not have coaches like Grant Taylor to drive us on. We may have to be our own coaches. This is not so bad. We can model ourselves on coaches like Taylor.

We can expect the best from ourselves. We can constantly challenge ourselves to do better and to keep going when we feel like giving up. We can use the techniques of non-stop positive talk, affirmations and visualizations of success to shut out any negative thoughts that may pop into our minds.

We can read motivational articles, books and ebooks. We can listen to motivational audio and watch motivational video. I’ll list the url of the You Tube extract in the resource box at the end of this article so you can inspire yourself with this brief story again and again. Better still buy the DVD of the entire film ‘Facing The Giants.’

I’ll have to wait till April before it is released in the UK but I have already preordered the DVD. If the extract about Brock’s death crawl is anything to go by, the rest of the film should be highly inspirational and powerfully motivational.

Be your own coach and aim to be the best you can be. You will become a leader and begin to make a big difference not only to your self but to others.

Welcome any competitors in your field. Do not let them depress you. They will push you to make the most of your abilities. Make sure your self talk is positive and don’t ever quit on yourself. You can achieve almost any goal you set your mind to. Don’t settle for the mediocre or even the good when you have the ability to achieve the best - the ability to achieve excellence.

Face up to the giants like fear and procrastination that might be holding you back from achieving your goals. Ask for help from God or the universe and, like David of old, destroy your Goliaths and live a life of victory and excellence.

John Watson is an award winning teacher and 5th degree blackbelt martial arts instructor. He has written several ebooks on motivation and success topics. One of these can be found at http://www.motivationtoday.com/36_laws.php You can check out the you tube extract at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vB59PkB0eQ Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your site but please include the resource box above.

On Feb 4th 2007, the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis Colts played in Superbowl 41 to try to win the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Both the Bears and the Colts can teach us lessons about how to achieve our own goals.

Vince Lombardi, the great Green Bay Packers’ coach, believed that sport teaches us about life in general. He saw the similarities between football and life clearly and frequently described the qualities that can help us all to achieve worthwhile goals in life as well as football.

One of Lombardi’s world famous quotes states:

“Football is a great deal like life in that it teaches that work, sacrifice, perseverance, competitive drive, selflessness and respect for authority is the price that each and every one of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile.”

All of these six goal achieving qualities were shown in the Superbowl final and on the way there.

Both the Bears and the Colts had to sacrifice by giving up a normal life to train day after day to win the greatest trophy in American Football. They had to work very hard to reach the play offs and then the final. They worked while others talked.

Lombardi would probably have approved of their work ethic. He appreciated the power of the discipline which enables people to face up to the daily grind:

“I’ve never known a man worth his salt who in the long run, deep down in his heart, didn’t appreciate the grind, the discipline. There is something good in men that really yearns for discipline.”

Another key quality mentioned by Lombardi is perseverance. The fans of the Bears and the Colts had to show perseverance for years as they waited to see their teams in the final. The Bears had waited 21 years since their last Superbowl and the Colts had waited 36 years to reach a final. How many of us could show that kind of loyalty and perseverance?

The fans also had to sacrifice money and time to get to Miami where they got a thorough soaking for their pains! Prince, at half time, sang the appropriate song ‘Purple Rain’.

Lovie Smith, coach of the Bears, and Tony Dungy, coach of the Colts, led by example. Both are committed Christians and the first African American coaches to take teams to the Superbowl. They taught their teams how to show respect for others and for the highest authority, God.

They also showed great respect and affection for each other. They believe that you don’t have to scream and yell to be a winner. They would not tolerate bad behavior or trash talking. They wanted their players to act like professionals.

After the game, the first thing Tony Dungy did was to walk over to his rival coach and give him a hug. Later he explained how he felt about winning:

“I am proud to be representing African American coaches and to be the first African American to win this. It means an awful lot to our country. But again, more than anything, Lovie Smith and I are not only the first two African American coaches, we are Christian coaches showing that you can win doing it the Lord’s way. I am even more proud of that.”

Dungy achieved his goal by showing respect for God and God’s way and by relying on God’s help. Most of us also need some kind of powerful help to achieve our goals.

Some achieve their goals by working hard and praying to God for help. Others use their minds to attract the power of the Universe or whatever power they believe in. Others just ask for the help of other humans who may know something they don’t.

The Colts and Bears knew that now was their time to achieve glory. They had the competitive drive that was valued by Lombardi. In the TV coverage that I was watching you could hear a sound track of the kind of thoughts that might have been going through the minds of the players or the kinds of comments the coaches might have been making.

“What about right now? Huh? Huh? It is our time. Be physical! Stay in the moment! This is why you play the game to be the best; to be the best; to be the best today.”

Very few of us do our best. If we did we probably would be the best since so few people make the most of their abilities. We need to be the best now and not tomorrow. Tomorrow we may be ill or dead.

The game started badly for the Colts. Later, Tony Dungy explained how they dealt with the early set back as Devon Hester did a 92 yard kick return to score for the Chicago Bears. Tony said:

“I am so proud of our guys. We took the hit early with Devon Hester but we talked about it and we said: ‘There is going to be a storm. Sometimes the Lord does not bring you directly through. Sometimes you gotta work for it.’”

Tony was right about the ’storm’. As the rain poured down, the Bears moved ahead while the Colts mishandled and missed an important kick. The Bears were in the lead and looking like winners. However, the Colts are not usually phased by early knockdowns. They again reacted in the spirit of Lombardi:

“It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get up.”

The Colts got up but the game did not go the Colts way until the second quarter when they began to dominate the game. They did this by using two outstanding running backs, a powerful defence and an effective offence.

Their quarterback, Peyton Manning, showed the kind of selflessness and teamwork that Lombardi spoke about. He would probably have loved to control the game through using his throwing arm but, instead, he gave up his natural game to allow the team to play as a team rather than a vehicle to show off his talents.

Throwing long passes with a rain soaked ball was not always the best way to go. Everyone seemed to be fumbling the ball. Instead, Manning used his tireless running backs again and again.

He also had to show perseverance and self-belief to overcome the critics who said he could not win the big one. Now he need not worry about comments like these for the rest of his life. He was declared MVP but gave all credit to the team.

There was no arrogance from the winners. At the end of the game, Jim Irsay, the owner of the Indianapolis Colts, gave the glory of victory to God. He spoke with feeling:

“Now we’re world champions and so there is an awful lot of shining glory up here but were giving it all to God. because that is what got us here - sticking together and believing that we could. I know God has looked after us on this journey and bonded us to such a tight family. I am so proud of my men I love you guys so much. Love you.”

The Colts achieved their goal of winning the Lombardi trophy by showing the kind of virtues which were admired and promoted so much by Vince Lombardi himself.

While others made excuses, they accepted the daily grind of training and showed the perseverance to come back when they were losing. They showed selflessness by working as a team rather than as one or two outstanding individuals. Running backs, offence, defense, receivers, special teams and the quarter back all played their part.

They showed respect for the other team and the leaders of the Colts showed respect for God. God or the Universe are the hidden power behind the efforts of many humans. God or the Universe can turn our efforts into miracles and create the shining glory of victory which makes our lives memorable. Lombardi, too, had something to say about God and belief:

”The good Lord gave you a body that can stand most anything. It’s your mind you have to convince.”

We, too, need to convince our minds that we can do almost anything. We need to show the same spirit as the Colts. We need to stick together and believe that we can win the great prizes.

We need to ask God and/or the Universe for help and we need to allow others to play their part rather than seeking to run the whole show ourselves. If we gladly give the glory to God and to others, some of it at least will usually rub off on us too!

I’ll finish with another brief quote from the great Lombardi himself. These words may be of some comfort to the Chicago Bears and their fans:

“In great attempts, it is glorious even to fail.”

If we never try, we will never fail but nor will we know the exhilaration and satisfaction of taking part and having a real go at achieving our goals.

Who knows? If we try, we, too, may achieve the goals and dreams we desire most. We, too, can share in the glory of achievement.

John Watson is an award winning teacher and 5th degree blackbelt martial arts instructor. He has written several ebooks on motivation and success topics. One of these can be found at http://www.motivationtoday.com/36_laws.php You can also find motivational ebooks by authors like Stuart Goldsmith. Check out http://www.motivationtoday.com/the_midas_method.php Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your site but please include the resource box above

Self improvement gurus often compare sport to life. Sportsmen and coaches do the same. In sport, life is compressed into one location and one short space of time. Golf takes longer!

It is much easier in sport than in normal life to see the impact of attitude, belief, energy and skill on who succeeds and who fails. We can see the same success lessons being taught again and again in one sport after another.

Vince Lombardi is world famous for his perceptive quotes. He saw clearly how American Football can give us success tips about life in general:

“Football is a great deal like life in that it teaches that work, sacrifice, perseverance, competitive drive, selflessness and respect for authority is the price that each and every one of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile.”

I was surprised to see that Vince Lombardi had left belief and confidence out of the list above. I need not have worried. He was fully aware of the power of confidence:

“Confidence is contagious. So is lack of confidence.”

He also stresses the power of belief. It must be accompanied, however, by other qualities like the willingness to pay the price of success:

“A man can be as great as he wants to be. If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done.”

Lombardi motivated the players of the Green Bay Packers who had been the laughing stocks of the league and turned them into League champions who won one final after another. They started with little confidence and ended up believing that they were worthy world champions.

The England cricket team, in the Ashes tour of 2006/7, also became a laughing stock. They lost game after game to the Australians as they struggled in the heat down under.

The only relief for English supporters came from English comedians like Al Murray

One night after yet more defeats, he asked if anyone in his mainly English audience was Australian. One man had to own up as he was wearing the Australian colors!

“Are you an Australian? Well you weren’t in the team! ”

He hadn’t finished:

“We, English, invented cricket, mate. You wouldn’t have anything to do in that tinder box down under if it wasn’t for us! ”

The England team did not believe they were a joke even if the Australians were laughing. They kept on trying hard even when they were losing and, eventually, their persistence paid off.

After three months of losing to the Australians, England won a one day match against Australia in early 2007. The English could now enjoy a joke or two as the Australians left the pitch with their heads hanging low.

Things became even better for England. They next beat New Zealand and reached the finals of the Triangular series. They faced the Australians again and would have to beat them twice to win this one day series.

The Australian captain, Ricky Ponting, alleged that the England team had become too cocky after just one victory over the Australian team that had dominated them for months.

However, Ponting was the one who underestimated English talent and determination. England beat Australia again in the first match of the finals. There was some brilliant play from English players like Collingwood.

England then went on to win the next one day match and had thus won the whole one day series. The main English hero in the finals was Collingwood, the man who had been mocked by the Australians for getting an MBE for his cricket after England won the Ashes in 2005.

Persistence in bad times had turned despair into victory and celebration. The good news is that if you keep going and trying hard you can move from laughing stock to hero in both American Football and in cricket. The England team now believe they, too, can become world champions.

Persistence works in soccer too. Many defeats or draws have been turned into victories as teams kept trying until the bitter end. Chris Coleman, the manager of Fulham, a premier league team based in London, commented on the way his team scored many of their winning goals in the last fifteen minutes of full time:

“We have a lot of energy and belief and hang in there”.

Practice also works in soccer. In February 2007, Manchester United were playing Reading in the fifth round of the FA cup. Cristiano Ronaldo plays for Manchester United and is considered by many to be the best soccer player in the world.

Youngsters love to imitate his footwork. They sit at home watching his every move on TV. So do many adults!

The cameras focused on him in the warm up before the game. He was practising the tricky, flashy footwork that is his trademark. Ian Wright, a great England striker, commented: “What kids must understand is that he is practising all the time”.

Near the end of the second half the commentators noted that Ronaldo used the skills he had been practising to set up the first goal of the game which was scored by Michael Carrick.

However, Reading kept working hard and their defender, Brynar Gunnarsson, scored an equalizer. Reading players began to believe they could win the game which now became exciting but ended as a hard fought draw.

Gunnarsson was asked what was the secret of the way that Reading caused one of the greatest teams in the world so many problems. He replied: “We work very hard for each other. If you want to call that a secret, that’s our secret.”

Jonny Wilkinson also practises relentlessly and puts in plenty of overtime. He has kept his self-belief and hung in there when his future seemed bleak. Jonny is the rugby union hero who scored the winning points for England in the final of the world rugby union championship in 2003.

His final kick of the final match put Australia in second place and made England champions of the world.

Since then he has had 11 injuries covering nearly every part of his body. These injuries have preventing him playing any rugby at all for his national team. He did manage to get in 40 minutes of play in 2 years for his club!

However, Jonny kept hoping that one day he would play again for England. He lived out the saying of the Romans:

“Dum spiro, spero. While I breathe I hope.”

Jonny kept doing rehab and training and hoping for the best. Eventually, he played again in February 2007 against Scotland for the Calcutta Cup. He was named man of the match after England won the match and the cup.

Jonny was back to his best and inspired the whole team to an easy victory. In the next Six Nations match he scored the points which gave England victory over an improving Italian team. He has put a smile back on the face of English rugby.

Jonny, like Ronaldo, never stops practising. Recently, he practised his goal kicking for two and a half hours in the snow when other players were probably relaxing elsewhere.

On 11th February 2007, Ireland played France in the Six Nations Rugby Union Championship. . Keith Wood a former great Irish player said that what was important was “Attitude! Attitude! Attitude!”

He also said that Ireland needed to be unbelievably aggressive to win the match.

In the first half the usual intense will to win and aggression seemed to be missing from the Irish team. But in the second half, the usual intensity was back and the Irish began to dominate the French.

They were in the lead near the end but lost concentration for a moment allowing France to score a match winning try. France, the reigning Six Nations champions, won the match and destroyed Ireland’s hopes of achieving a grand slam i.e. beating all of the other six nations.

The power of expectation and self-belief is clearly evident in every sport there is. The world master of golf, Tiger Woods, is more concerned about his mental attitude than he is about his swing. He has always taken great trouble to program his mind for success.

“My mind is my biggest asset. I expect to win every tournament I play.”

To sum up:

We can learn success lessons from every sport as all sports hold up a mirror to life.

If you believe in your ability and are willing to work hard and give up some of the things you enjoy, you can experience the far greater pleasure of achieving worthwhile goals.

If you persist in your efforts and just hang in there, you can stop being a laughing stock and turn the tables on your critics.

If you practice relentlessly like Ronaldo and Wilkinson you can achieve skills that will amaze your friends and, possibly, a much wider audience.

Realize that attitude is often more important than skill and that it is important to act for as long as possible with intensity and energy to achieve your goals.

Above all, you must expect to succeed every time you attempt to achieve a goal.

Sports men and women are the most obvious heroes and heroines of modern times. Modern media allows us to observe them on a daily basis. They can both entertain us and teach us the way to succeed in our own lives.

John Watson is an award winning teacher and 5th degree blackbelt martial arts instructor. He has written several ebooks on motivation and success topics. One of these can be found at http://www.motivationtoday.com/36_laws.php