SPOTLIGHT
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When you realize the power of positive selftalk... you will see changes. Bryan Contreras
assistant coach, cross country and track
34
FALL 2019 | ISSUE TWO
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Learning to be Positive
If you have ever competed in a sport and been injured, you may be familiar with the disappointment and sadness that comes with sitting on the sidelines, watching your teammates play the game you love. Instead of being discouraged, an injured athlete can choose to reflect on how they can work through this time in their life and come out victorious next time. The power of positivity is one remedy used to get athletes through the toughest times according to Bryan Contreras, assistant coach for the university cross country and track teams. Positive self-talk is something “you have to practice every single day like you practice training and working out,” he says. Negative self-talk, on the other hand, “unfortunately, is easy and takes no practice whatsoever,” explains Contreras. When something doesn’t go as planned, a natural impulse may be to become disheartened and think about everything that went wrong. Pulling oneself out of that mindset and learning to focus on the positive can be a very serious struggle. “That’s the hard part about being positive — focusing on the little bits of things that are better than these bad things we’ve gone through,” says Contreras. “When you realize the power of positive self-talk… you will see changes, but when you see changes, don’t expect them to be super grand, super immediate changes.” Progress may not come easily, and although implementing change can feel like a slow and tedious process, the results can be worth the wait.