Shiv Khera, the Indian author and activist wrote, "Ninety percent of selling is conviction, and 10 per cent is persuasion."  In other words, the outcome largely hinges on your self-belief. Whether it's selling, sport, or school, success starts with believing that you can succeed.

This week, we welcome the Dance Dynamics studio to the MC team. They have made an impressive commitment to helping develop the whole person, not just the dancer. Their commitment includes bringing mental performance to the leadership, staff, AND the dancers. Go DD!

When Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp finished his last high school game for A.C. Davis HS in Yakima, Washington, he had zero scholarship offers. After Eastern Washington University offered him three weeks later, he eagerly accepted. Despite an All-American career, many NFL teams considered his 40 yard dash of 4.62 seconds to be too slow. What they didn't realize was the level of preparation and work that Kupp was committed to. When he tore his ACL in 2018, that same level of effort and attention to detail was manifested in his rehab process. He viewed the injury as an opportunity, not a setback. The end result has seen Kupp complete one of the best seasons in wide receiver history - leading the NFL in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns, with a Super Bowl ring to cap it off. This is what it means to master one's craft.

One of the challenges that many performers face is their relationship with expectations. I've found that expectations of winning can lead to a sense of pressure and tension, especially when the game isn't going your way. If you do end up winning, the emotion tends to be one of relief, rather than joy. Holding high expectations also increases the chances of disappointment, frustration, and entitlement.

Here are some suggestions for changing your relationship with expectations:

1. Change the expectations you hold. If you expect parts of the performance to go well, and other parts to be challenging, you'll be more likely to experience productive emotions and unsurprised when things go badly.

2. Use the equation Mood = Reality - Expectations (M = R - E). You can't change reality, but you can adjust your expectations. Lowering them can lead to greater freedom, flexibility, and adaptability.

3. Hold high standards, and low expectations. Standards are far more controllable than expectations, and they facilitate a present-moment focus.

4. Anticipate instead of expecting. When you anticipate, you're excited about the possibilities, rather than trying to control a preconceived outcome.