Jim Fanin-Cool, Calm and Collected

Jim Fanin is one of America’s foremost thought leaders. He is the premier coach of champions having mentored the “best of the best” in sports and business for 40 years. Enjoy his latest book on optimism, The Pebble in the Shoe. For 40 years, I’ve assisted the best athletes in the world and corporate executives meet adversity head-on in some of the toughest arenas on the planet. From The Masters, World Series, Super Bowl, NBA Finals, Wimbledon and boardrooms from the Fortune 500, I’ve provided concrete tools to be cool, calm and collected, especially during “moments of truth” when the next move you make can decide your fate. Here are three proven tools and techniques that you can deploy in any aspect of your life to bring an instant feeling of calm when you need it most.

The Palm Tree™
The sun sinks down across the horizon, painting the sky with beautiful pinks and purples. The waves playfully reach their way up the sandy beach with a calm, bubbly rhythm. The graceful palm trees sway with the evening breeze. It’s just another sunset in Maui. If you’ve ever been to a sunset on a beach, I’ve brought you right back to it. It’s the ultimate in relaxation. Why? Do you ever associate stress with a palm tree? Of course not. When the hurricane comes however, the first line of defense is the amazing palm tree. Just like a “real life” hurricane such as a road rage experience, an angry significant other, or a crisis at work, the palm tree in you needs to absorb the devastating winds of adversity.
As soon as a circumstance, condition or event displeases you or disturbs you, think of the palm tree. Have a palm tree thought before the life hurricane reaches full force.
The palm tree reacts to a hurricane or violent storm by allowing the negativity to pass through it by bending with the wind. It absorbs the wrath of the devastating force. After the storm dissipates and leaves, the palm stands up straight to see another day of sunshine. It symbolizes all that’s good about the sun, beach, ocean, recreation and pleasure. As stress, anger, negativity, or disappointment builds, most people brace themselves like an oak tree to battle the immediate adversity. Of course, there are no oak trees on the beach. An oak tree would easily have its branches broken and its trunk uprooted. This is why your first thought in times of stress is the palm tree. With this positive imagery, you will lower your breathing by taking several deep breaths and not negatively react or overreact to what’s in front of you.

Breathe Like a Baby™
Do you ever get nervous or anxious before a big event, presentation or meeting? Do you ever get uptight just before a potential confrontation? If the answer is yes, you may need to breathe like a baby.
Do babies get anxious about the future? Never! Babies close their eyes and breathe with their stomach. It’s not long before they’re fast asleep, whether they’re in a crowded restaurant or at a noisy family event. Here’s how to get calm.

• Unhinge your jaw
• Place either hand over your belly button
• With each inhale, allow your stomach to move your hand
After several deep breaths, you’ll feel your shoulders relax and a feeling of calmness will prevail. Before any potential stress situation, breathe like a baby.

Duck on the Pond
When are you least comfortable? It’s usually when you have a zillion things to do with the least amount of time. With deadlines pending and everyone wanting your time and energy, what should you do? Act like a duck, gracefully gliding its way across a pond. Yesterday I watched a duck on the pond behind my home. It appeared effortless as it moved through the water. It reached its destination with ease. And when it felt like it, it took wing and flew away. Isn’t it fascinating watching a duck on a pond? In reality, a duck’s webbed feet are paddling at full speed. What if you could look and feel as calm, cool and collected as the duck while you paddle full speed, accomplishing all your tasks and goals within their deadlines?

Here are 10 ways to be the duck on the pond:
1. Prepare exactly where you want to go.
2. Prepare daily, weekly and monthly tasks to be accomplished in order to reach your destination.
3. Envision each task in its completed state.
4. Focus only on what you want, as opposed
to what you don’t want.
5. Maintain slow deep breathing under all circumstances, conditions and situations. Stay comfortable!
6. When obstacles arrive, keep your mind on where you want to go.
7. Prepare to adjust with a calm demeanor in case your pathway is blocked. Decisively change course, change speed, change strategy, temporarily abort the mission or stay the course.
8. Think solutions. This will be easier when you replace the word “problem” with the word “challenge.”
9. When reality and expectations don’t mesh, stay optimistic!
10. Enjoy the swim! Enjoy the pond! Now you’re armed with three proven, concrete

Now you’re armed with three proven, concrete tools and techniques for relaxation. Remember, your greatest gift is free will to think any thought and consequently act any way at any time under any circumstance, condition or situation. When life presents tough challenges, meet them head-on by being calm, cool and collected.

Keywords: Concrete Tools and Techniques for Relaxation, Life Coach, Parenting, Career, Personal Finance, Relationships, Wellness, Personalized Coaching, Born To Ride, Born To Ride Magazine, Born To Ride Multi-Media