Billion dollar mind edit
Tue, Jun 11, 2024 5:42AM • 44:08
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
tennis, talk, people, day, book, rick, positive, environment, neva, world, good, athletes, mind, great, change, work, sport, patients, visualize, life
SPEAKERS
Prof Niva, Paul Barnett, Jonathan Cole, Rick Macci
Paul Barnett 00:00
Well, Rick Massie and Dr. Neva? Good. Well, good morning. Good night. I'm not sure. Maybe you can tell us about that. And welcome to the great coaches podcast.
Rick Macci 00:12
It's good to be here.
Prof Niva 00:14
And morning. Thank you for having us.
Paul Barnett 00:16
I don't know if it is good morning. Dr. Neva, could you tell us where you are in the world? What time it is and what you've been doing so far today?
Rick Macci 00:26
Well, ya know, it's three in the morning here in Boca Raton, Florida. I've been up for a few hours, I've already run a half mile had breakfast, headed to cat so ready to go. So I jump on the court and a few hours. So this works out perfect.
Paul Barnett 00:42
Unbelievable. Well, me ready to go? Well, it's three o'clock. This is the earliest interview we've ever had. So it'll be a great case study for all those people listening on the benefits of an early start to the day.
Rick Macci 00:57
Like, Hey, I like being first I'd rather be first than worse. So that's good. I'm one of the person that's good.
Paul Barnett 01:03
Well, I'm gonna start Dr. Neva with you if I can. The book is called a bill, a billion dollar mind a practical guide to the game of life. Now, could you tell us what was the impetus to put the book together with Rick?
Prof Niva 01:20
Why did I decide to do it? Yeah, I love mental strength, and so passionate about that, that concept. I think it can change people's lives, it can make people win matches and win in every single way. So the book is really important, because I think it's a game changer for people and how they receive everything. And I so throughout my life, I was thinking I was like, most people, some people are able to maximize their day, and some people can't do anything. And they both some people who have a lot of talent, you're not able to do anything with that talent, because their minds are not tuned. So I would always really study the subject and then visited Greg at his academy, and there's like, so many positive affirmations without many seasons, on his in his academy on boards, and I loved seeing them. And I knew one day I was like, I'm gonna write a book, I can just put all these Macy isms in a book, and I know it's gonna be a great bestseller. So it was five years later, I came up with an idea. And I just mentioned it to brag on his tennis credit, to see him for that award. And I just said, Hi, you know, Rick, I have an idea for a book on mental strength. And it was just, I don't think he even paid attention to that. I was like, Oh, I left. And then two weeks later, during work, he texts me he's like, where's the book, I had no clue that was gonna happen. I know, Coke. And it was it was like fires from the best journey ever since I thought this book could change not only the lives, of course, my patients and of course, tennis players and young tennis players, but it could also change the lives of the world. Because if we recognize how our thoughts impact everything we do, we can change our life. My experience
Paul Barnett 03:05
of tennis is, is largely limited to the Netflix series that goes behind the scenes, I have been occasionally to the Australian Open, but not very often in my life. But tennis really seems to be a really, dog ate dogs sort of environment behind the scenes, but you describe yourself more as a, as a life coach than a tennis coach, and wondering, wondering how you bring this idea of the whole person and their development together with elite level coaching.
Rick Macci 03:35
I love the question. And you're right, I'm probably more of a life coach than a tennis coach, even though I'm heavy into the biomechanics, and obviously the technical and strategic, but you know, I deal with a lot of youth, and no one knows what's inside a child. And my I just try to extract greatness, okay, and get them to believe, and try to develop courage and confidence. You know, and there's an art to this, you know, in the mental strength, part of it is the wildcard.[PB1] Because in tennis, you got 20 seconds to flip it in your mind, like it happened 20 years ago, and it's on who's the best athletes going to be the best player. That's how you handle those key moments. And I try to teach that, you know, at a young age, to get them to look at it differently than just forehand, backhand and serve. Because we all know that you can have a better forehand, backhand and serve it still get beat easily. You know, I mean, it's all how you handle things. And this is what I kind of do. Create the environment. It's a cafeteria smorgasbord of everything when I when I teach people, but it's always how I've been put together. And it's not just like I said, a technical thing. And so once I get them to think of it from the mental point of point of view, that I get them to be more positive. You know, I haven't imitate greatness what they see on the pro tour. They're the leader in the clubhouse. So it's the wildcard it separates great from good. And if you ever want to be the best you can be, it's always a game of inches from one year to another.
Paul Barnett 05:15
I love this idea of giving youth courage and confidence. People listening have got kids, and a lot of those kids are playing sport, but it might not be at the elite level. And I don't want to, I don't want to reduce everything you do in the academy down to a to a soundbite. But is there some advice you could give us on helping our own children develop this courage and confidence that you talk about?
Rick Macci 05:41
Absolutely, well, first of all, I worked with all ages, all levels, whether it be a five year old start now, the best eight year old in the world, or people on the pro tour. So are the number 180 year old guy in the United States. Like I teach everybody, you know, it's so but for any parent, you know, their goal should be support. Always encourage, you know, always motivate, dream big, think big, you can do it, you know, and be supportive. Because I think a lot of times no matter what sport they're in, they forget their kids first and an athlete second. You know, they forget that because the brain takes longer to develop, it takes longer to reason, you know what I'm saying? So, that would be my advice, the parents should support, provide the environment, be positive, no one to hug them, no one to give him a little kick in the butt, you know, cuz you got to, you got to watch, because fear is the greatest motivator in the history of the world. So there's an art to this. But unfortunately, parents kind of get lost in their in the moment. And it's not where you start. It's where you finish. I've seen that movie many times, I've had the best players in the country. And it's like, Whoa, now they're top 20 in the world. So it's it's a long term process, parents have to understand that. But being happy your kid around a positive environment, and always encouraging. And whether it be watching YouTube or motivational speakers, because we're always aware, hopefully, what you put in your mouth, but we're not aware what we put on our brain. And this is huge. Okay, this is huge, and I've just seen over my career have affected the mindset of get the most out of everybody's ability. And when people come back, it's not always about, hey, you really helped my server forehand. It's how I look at life through a different lens, through the work ethic, you know, how to handle things differently, you know, not get too high and low and maintaining a positive attitude. And they pass that down to their kids. You know, like Christian rude, I taught him caspers dad, you know, winners, find a way losers make an excuse. And he said, I passed that, I learned that from my dad learn up from Rick Macy. And that stuck with him. And he's probably mentally very calm on the court. If you've ever seen Christian at which I mean, Casper, which you have. So that's the best compliment. So any parent out there? To me, that's their job to always remember their kids first, and whenever sports are in or an athlete second.
Jonathan Cole 08:14
And Dr. Neven, you know, you obviously deal with people who've got disabilities. Does that mindset from a tennis coach tennis star does that work as well, in in your field of business?
Prof Niva 08:28
We absolutely, that's a whole same theme that can be taken to the pit to patient care.
But I've what I love about Rick and what I've seen about him, and what I've learned from him, is that you know, say a student makes a mistake. And they're they're hitting their server or they're getting a forehand or even if they like hit their racket other ground. And they're mad, if he never gets upset, he only just guides and really encourages and visualize positivity is very important. So a lot of coaches will do will get upset and be like, I'm disappointed once you do this. There's no negative feeling. I think that same concept can be translated in the patient environment where I'm with, you know, patients, and many of them will be in wheelchairs or they're not in wheelchairs yet. But it's that same positive encouragement that's so crucial for them, they cannot do something, they may not be able to walk to go to the bathroom, but you have to kind of say, okay, what can they do? What can they you know, to appreciate what can they do? What are they still left? What are the things that they really enjoy? [PB2]
So it's a it's a different framework is that in achieving, or a tennis in terms of, you know, number one and tennis but it's like saying, Okay, let's reframe what we have right now. It's just like you do with kids, you have to reframe what they're doing, they get positive for patients as well reframe almost every single day, every single minute because these patients are struggling. And so there are things that we use, specially what I have in the book, we just write the number one a We think great gratitude is really important to gratitude for whatever they have, maybe they can't walk to the back of it, yeah, they can use your hands. So they're very grateful that they can still eat. A lot of times, that's a helpful many, many, many times it's humor. So a lot of times when we're that we have patients room, when there's something that can be funny, we tend to laugh at it. And that changes the entire mindset from making something negative or struggle to being much more positive.
Jonathan Cole 10:30
But that's fabulous. That's fabulous. I mean, it's just interesting how you're transcending it across, you know, life, whether you're a superstar, or you're, you're struggling. And, by the way, you both talk you actually take take that out, and to get that out from the people, which is, which is great. I've got a question. Rick, when you talk about the environment? What, when you set up for the tennis academy? What kind of environment were you trying to create? And how is it morphed into what it is today?
Rick Macci 11:05
First off, great question. I didn't really try to create any environment, I just lead by example, you know what I mean? I'm the first one there, never sit down, they still pick up the balls, you know, so that alone without saying a word is powerful to the kids, you know, and then how I deliver the goods, when I teach, or I give a group speech to the parents and the kids. You know, it's just, but it's consistent. Consistent, is greatness. That's the leader in the clubhouse. Okay, everybody can have a snippet or a moment in time, but consistently, every single day, you know, delivering the goods, the same positivity. You know, a lot of times kids might miss a shot, okay. And and when I tell them, Don't worry about it two more inches, five more pounds, you'll be balanced, and that will go in the corner. They missed it because they're eight years old, and they're still a little pipsqueak, you know, so I look at it differently. Instead of saying, Oh, what are you doing, you should have hit high over the net crop. You know, there's moments when I would go there. But there's all these signs at the Academy motivational signs, okay, probably over 100. And without me saying a word, you know, they look at something, because when you look at it, you see it, then you might believe it, and then you might feel it. So without me saying, hey, there's signs everywhere. That's motivational heaven, the Academy's like Disneyland, Candyland, all wrapped in one, you know, and so, it's powerful. And I just seen through my career, how that has affected, you know, whether it be Capriati Vina, Serena, you know, Radek Sharapova Pierce Myskina rude Kennan and all the people that have won national titles, or people that, you know, just went on to do this or that, not just people that we all know about, you know, and they, they use the same. And they don't have to go on YouTube, it's right there. And they hear it every day. You know, and I always tell them, you know, always appreciate what you have, not what you don't have. And you should say thank you every single day, to the coach or whatever, when you leave the code of the court, and you don't have that gratitude. And that's one thing I loved about Richard Williams, and people didn't understand this. Every day, the girls brought their books to the court, when it rained, they went my office, and every single night, good, bad, happy, sad, the girls would say, Rick, thank you very much. And give me a hug or a fist pump. Now, sometimes Shareen is fist pump was a little authoritative. But other than that, okay. That's Richard Williams life lessons, you know, and when you have that balance, and it's hard when it's a bad day, to say thank you to someone. And I see how all the kids say that. And it just helps them become a more well rounded individual. And I'm kind of most doing their parents job a little bit, because they might listen to someone who's kind of been there, done that. And it's helped mold greatness. So, yeah, that's kind of what I do. And I just feel you can, when kids are having fun, and they're motivated, you got to know when to go for the jugular, I get that. And I do that too.
But I just see how I can expedite the learning curve. I make things happen quicker. And I get him to believe you know what I mean? And get them to think big, whether you're going to be this level, this level, or whatever you do. It translates in, obviously, in the light, how to solve problems, and look at things differently, because we're all going to react, but we all react differently. And when you react positively and frame it differently. You don't feel as much stress, you have more energy and you're on to the next problem that you can solve.[PB3]
Paul Barnett 14:55
I think it's a fantastic example for all of us. In fact, you know, you're right in the movie. In the movie, King Richard and I say this is a father of two girls, he was always trying to elevate their environment. And I can see why bringing anybody in your environment would be elevating for them and would be challenging for them that you brought
Rick Macci 15:15
that up. So I got to dive in here, even when they were 10 and 11. And they would miss a shot, or we were working on something, it was always about hangers, never to Lova bystanders, Henan, Capriati, it wasn't about slaying a 12 year old, you know, it was always they would have got that we got to make it a little better. Always thinking big. And, you know, at the after party, both v w. And Serena said, Rick, we were literally brainwashed by you and daddy become number one. You know what I mean? What I mean by that it's not a heavy duty statement brainwashed. It says to do environment. Now you got to have the thoroughbred to win the Derby, I get that. But even if you're a donkey, I can make you the best doctor you can be. But when she when they said that, that's beyond powerful. The power of belief and expectations. You know what I'm saying? To push yourself. And so that's huge. But that's why I love Richard Williams. He's always about life lessons. Okay, we're definitely on the same page.
Paul Barnett 16:17
And Jonathan wants to ask you about visualization. But I'd like to do a follow up if I can. Rick, before actually, before Ricky talked about tennis as a game of inches. And you talked to you where did your is being the interest between your head? And I'd like to ask both of you this question if I couldn't maybe start with Dr. Neva. Because tennis for me, you're locked in you're it's a solo game. And I mean, there are doubles, but largely, you're by yourself. And you see the athletes often mumbling to themselves talking to themselves, they're very locked in their own head. And I'm wondering if I could start with your neighbor, how you I mean, you work with people when it comes to their self talk, and the way that they are responding to the challenges they're facing, I know, you can help them reframe what happens when you're not there, I'd really love to get both of your perspectives on that.
Prof Niva 17:11
I love that question.
Another thing that we can do, we just got so many techniques in the book was smile every morning, 15 minutes are exercises, people just smile. And that is a very positive thing to do. There are other things we can do that I really think are crucial, and I talk about it very often is that the thinking loops, when we are aware of our thought processes, our recurrent patterns we have, then we can stop them in the tracks before they occur. So for example, we have a thinking loop that recurs in the same thought process of a negative emotion. When we are aware of that thinking with that process, we're like, oh, my gosh, we're thinking down that path, then we could say, Okay, we're gonna stop that thought, that's what I do. And then when you have that awareness, you can do it almost every hour, and watch your thoughts, watch the motions behind those thoughts, and stop them. [PB4]
And then part I could go out and more and more techniques, but also journaling. So when there's more like every morning, getting into the habit of journaling every single day, so that we can watch our thoughts and how we are like carrying out our days, what we're doing, how we're relating our thoughts, and our emotions and our actions. So very important. And these are just a few of the techniques that are taught from a book, very, very important to watch his thoughts and be able to create that positive energy throughout the day, you can see that we have a new baseline that one with Rick, it's such a positive environment, great positive energy generates the positivity, and then I matched that I like that. As soon as I have a negative thought and a negative emotion. I can feel it. So I'm like, Okay, I gotta stop that right now. I don't want to be in that frequency. So that's a very important topic to create.
Jonathan Cole 19:49
A follow up question on that there's, there's a great, well, not necessarily a great quote for you in the in the billion dollar mind. You were saying you're on your bicycle and you said failure in relationships. failure in life grand trap history and failure in my career pursuit. And I'm looking at you now and you're this boy and bubbly, smiley laughing. person. And, you know, I think a lot of people who have read the book would say, oh, yeah, you two have already got it. You know, we can't get that. But you obviously have, how did you transform from that quote to actually where you are now?
Prof Niva 20:22
Oh, my gosh, that was that's the key to this whole book. How did I transform? I remind myself of those moments. And I say, Wow, where have I come? I'm from where that's why I wrote this book, I said, I have come so far, because my life before was nothing like what it was now. And the way I did was just still watch time with myself. There were hours and hours devoted to thinking about what I liked, where I wanted to be, what I thought was more important than anything else. And what motivated me, because a lot of times people do not spend time with themselves. They do not give themselves enough credit and respect and love that they deserve. So what happens we go into this routine, this automated mode, where like, just become a robot, morning, evening, morning, evening, go to work, we come home, and we watched, you know, so people just watch TV, they avoid conflict, and then they go to bed, they forget to talk to themselves. And as soon as I started doing that, I started recognizing what I was thinking, and what was coming into me that sensory input, we talk in the book, I started started writing it down. There was negativity every single day in my personal life, there was negativity, from work from personal relationships, everything I was doing, so I had to change that environment. Then I had to figure out what was the most important thing. And then I realized that I really loved positivity. You know, there was, I loved hard work. I knew what I started recognizing I loved love, there were things that I really loved that I needed in my life. Some people like money, some people like food, some people like traveling, there were things that other people like those things I don't like, you know, just new, hip gravitating the same thing. mental strength was something I did, no one had to pay me, I would have listened for five hours a day for electric. I love that. So when I realized what I loved, that I became one with myself, that's the most important thing. And I think people don't spend time, enough time. They don't talk to themselves either. They're like avoiding it. They're, they're watching TV, they're on their phones, they're on social media, we do not give ourselves enough time. And I think that's one of the most important things to do. Let
Rick Macci 22:41
me Let me chime in here, and I'm going to back the truck up to when she first started talking. Everybody has to understand your toughest opponent is the person in the mirror. So that's the first thing, it's not everybody else in the world. There's the biggest answer in the mirror. That's the starting point. Okay, now, you got to want to change, if that's what you want. Some people like to be negative. Some people like to make excuses. People, some people like problems, they get on that merry go round that that hamster just going round and round. You got to understand you got to get uncomfortable, to get comfortable. But you got to want to change first, everybody likes a compliment. So why don't you compliment yourself? You know, we get into this routine every day. And like myself, you know, I'm just such into a routine my whole life, you become a machine, you know, in a different way, then you can spread that to others. But it comes down to choice and wanting to change. Some people only get like, the only happy maybe when it's Friday, or it's the middle of the week. They should create every day, thank God, it's every day, it's a starting point of how you're looking at everything. And then from there, you know, you go, but everybody lets everything control them. And you got to control the situation. All of us have problems, all of us the same stuff. How we deal with it. It's a different animal. And in what I do for tennis, that's what separates a Djokovic, who's an amazing athlete to go and curious from your neck of the woods. Probably one of the best athletes ever. But no slams in the back pocket. Okay, that's a whole different level we're talking about but it's the same with life. You know, and you got to understand what makes you happy? What makes you happy? Some people are happy complaining, okay, so don't then you get what you deserve. You know, so it all starts from the beginning. And from there, it's not going to happen overnight. You can't look at things like Walmart to be like that. You got to understand to be like that. You got to take the stairs, not the s The leader, no one goes from A to Z. You gotta go B, C, it's little steps, but people are impatient. They want it right now, especially in today's world. And the last time I looked to build a great house, it's brick by brick.
Prof Niva 25:13
One of the exercises I do to kind of figure out what I like, or people like in general, and I do this in the clinic every day is I always say, Look, if you have three months left to live, what are you gonna put in those three months that you know right away your priorities at that takes, that's when things shift very quickly. So then you know, what you like, and what you don't like and what you want to make take time to think about it. I can make my patients do that all the time and do that exercise. Three months left to live. And sometimes you could even do another exercise where you're kind of mentally thinking, if I had already, if I had to do my life over again, what would I do? And I would let everything happen that I want. That was that's a crucial one. Because that's one thing that personally I did was I remember the moment there was a moment in my life when I had a certain personal tragedy, my family, I remember, I felt like I had just died that moment. And then I, I said, That's enough. I'm not living someone else's life. I'm not living my parents dreams of living my dream. And I was like, then I realized I needed to figure out about me. So yeah, it was like, Okay, if I had died in combat, what what I wanted to do, then then you live your life without fear.
Paul Barnett 26:24
Oh, that's a wonderful. So what you do unpack that a little bit in the book, and it's well with, with reading for people that are interested. But, Rick, I'd like to ask you, I mean, the evidence of your approach to coaching is clearly visible in the performance of your athletes. But what if we take a long term view? What if we look over the life of these people, when they leave the high performance environment that you've created for them? How does the things they've learned, either deflect, or impact in a positive way the rest of their life?
Rick Macci 27:03
Well, it's huge, you know what I'm saying, because all the kids, I have him have a journal, I have him write it down. When you write things down, it's powerful. You know, like I said, What you put into your brain, all the time is huge. And, you know, tennis or whatever sport, it's just a little microcosm of the game of life. But there's so many common threads with solving problems, you're on your own. Like you said earlier, it's one on one, tennis is brutal. And it's like, some people are better doubles, they got a therapist on the court to say, I love you, and they just and hug and they forget that emotion of failure. But oh, it's used as they go into the real world, because you've already kind of had a snapshot of what's coming down the road, by playing tennis, or any really competitive situation, even if it's a team sport. So it's huge, hard work, dedication, being on time, having to the ability to remember to forget, that's huge. You got to remember, don't forget, but don't forget what I told you to remember here. So at the end of the day, all these players when they, when they come back, or we talk or whatever, they see what happened. When they're at the academy. Let's see if I work with them all privately. But just the overall environment. It's huge. And it's like live and in color, you know, that they've experienced and they can pass that down. So it it helps them in so many ways. I can't even I can't even express it, because they just see how effective it is. And then the impact I've had on some high level athletes go on to have so much success. It's much more as you guys know, then forehands backhands and serves you know, you can be the leader in the clubhouse and that and just be a teaching pro, or whatever or be a good pro. But greatness is the mental part. And when you can get in someone's head to look at it like that, that's going to help them see I don't change strokes, I change lives. And that's going to help them down the road in the game of life.
Prof Niva 29:13
I'm gonna leave any example.
Rick Macci 29:14
I taught her back in the day. Listen, she was number one in the south hurt her sister. She has a twin sister, and she's very good player. She made the right decision. She went to Harvard and she's one of the best doctors of what she does on the planet. Okay, and reminds me to grant it so I'll leave it at that.
Prof Niva 29:35
Breakfast came to my mind. I remember when I was in college at Harvard, he was just so positive and very, very success oriented, which I love. Why waste your time on something if you're not going to be number one. He's just such got a great at least I'd love that. You know, a lot of people say play for fun and you know, just enjoy and I didn't I wanted to vibe with that mentality of being awesome. So it being number one. And something was always important to me. And I think Rick had that philosophy when I was a training under him. So if you're not going to be number one tennis be number one in your field in medicine and do something great in that career. And then when I'd come back and and visit him, all those positive affirmations that he had the mace season's around, like, I love competition always encouraged me not helped me at work, you know, I'm going to do the best I can, I'm not going to be afraid of competing, I'm going to have that positive attitude. So, throughout my career, I've seen how much he's impacted me. As a person. It's been amazing.
Rick Macci 30:36
When you chime in on that about, you know, just people don't be positive. I mean, what kind of statement is that?
You know, the world is not rainbow lollipop and sunshine, okay, we got to understand it, you're gonna have problems. I like problems. Okay, I don't great problems. I solve problems. Okay, it's a very different way, you got to look at things. But everybody's on the same merry go round. Most people, they let what they see on TV or their environment, or the people around control them, then they become creatures of habit. We both know, there's two types of habits, good and bad. So at the end of the day, when we say oh, just be positive, people let things control them, you can be positive, or respond to anything, any way you want to. [PB5]
And I said that earlier. But you know, when I coached Dr. Niven or sister, okay, the determination and the way they would listen. Okay. And that carried over into her work ethic. Okay, and how she handles things. That's the best feeling in the world. Tennis Coach.
Paul Barnett 31:43
Rick, it's almost sounds like your, your athletes. I don't know if that's the right word, the people that come and train with you. It sounds like they change you a little bit as well.
Rick Macci 31:53
Maybe. But listen, this isn't cloning. It's not one size fits all, how you say it? Why did say when to say it, who to say it to how do I talk to an eight year old is very different. When to speak louder, when to speak slower. When to hug someone, I read the tea leaves, I take the temperature, I go in and out like a boxer and figure it out, then then dealing with the parents. That's a whole nother a whole nother podcast. I should be in the Hall of Fame just for putting up with Richard Williams. You know what? I tell him that he goes you should be but no, listen, that's a whole nother thing. And at the end of the day, a winner finds a way. And you just you keep going. But it's not just all positive. It's how you say it, and how you set it up to come in. And because you got to have balance, you can't just be everything's great. Everything's great. No, I'm not saying that. Anybody listening? It's not like that. Okay. And that's the art of coaching. If there's any coaches, like, listen to the
Jonathan Cole 32:53
follow up on on that one, you know, in the book, you talk a lot about visualization. And, you know, you talked about building a house, you started to ground that, how does that work in visualization, because if I'm visualizing myself as a sports person, it's something I could never achieve. So how do you keep them grounded, but excited and and, and thriving to get there, you want to do that.
Prof Niva 33:16
I love the concept of visualization, I think we should not limit ourselves and how we visualize that what we want to be and how we want to perform physically should be as beautiful and brilliant as our mind can conceive it. Because whatever we can conceive in our mind, we can achieve, even though you feel like you're not going to get there, you just said that I think you think you're not gonna get the data itself is limiting yourself already, you should be able to visualize yourself in that perfect of ideal form is the beauty and the brilliance of whichever your body can do. And that can give you that motivation to actually get there that that's the art of visualization is to, is to be able to visualize the best possible way. And that happens not only just in sports, but also I talked a little bit about people who are disabled or have a weakness or are recovering even just the thought of a motor action can actually start triggering the motor nerves to act to recover. Same thing, if even just that thought of whatever what's a sport that you like to play a genre that your Do you have a favorite sport[PB6]
Jonathan Cole 34:20
like golf or or most sports actually.
Prof Niva 34:24
So yeah, whenever you're either I visualize every night I go to bed, not only just what I'm gonna do the next day, but also sports. I don't know why I have a habit of it's exactly 10 As I visualized myself playing tennis or a certain sport or biking, which I love. I love the visualization because I see myself doing it in the perfect way. And then And then even if it's not perfect, it's on the way there. It's in the right direction.
Rick Macci 34:50
Fortunately love this question. It's in my wheelhouse. You know the saying Seeing is believing people don't have discipline they'd rather win Run and sweat, that's good. That's a physical thing. But how many people train mentally? I guarantee, especially we're talking athletes at the highest level, everyone does it. They're not going to tell Maybe the secret sauce or exactly what they do. But they see it, they feel it, they smelled it. They've been there, done that. Okay. Then when they do get in that situation, there's more of a calmness in their mind. And I tell this story real quick about VW Venus when, when she got to the finals of the US Open. She was in the semis plans per layup. And it was six all in a tiebreaker. And she was 10 feet off the court in a stadium running and hitting a backhand groundstroke at six on a breaker way off the court. And she flipped that left handed Compton roller, won that point for layup double falls, VW goes to the finals to play Hengest they interviewed her and they said that was an amazing shot. You're 10 feet off the core. How did you make that shot? She goes, ever since I was a little kid. I was taught to run for every ball. So I didn't feel uncomfortable at all. Now, the fact she made it, that's icing on the cake. But the fact she's been there, that GPS already let her there when she was a little girl way off the court. And she practiced that shot so many times. So you've been there done that that's a physical thing. But I have all the kids before they serve, picture it not there. I want them to hit it. Right there. There's a difference between focus and finite focus, right there. Pick a spot, I just helped your golf game gonna aim there on the green, don't aim at the green right there. This is how the brain works narrow the scope. But it takes so much discipline. And as we all know, with human human beings, and they don't have discipline and but don't want to complain about it. So this is visualization is huge. I got so many stories of people getting injured, taking a negative burning in in a positive training mentally every day till they get better with the injury and they come back with a better percentage sir, or better at shooting foul shots. Because they couldn't say I'd have two broken arms. I got so many stories like this, but people don't want to take the time. You know, I'd rather complain about it. The visualization is huge, because it presents calmness and more importantly, competence.
Paul Barnett 37:34
Rick, I can see Dr. Neva is testament to some of your philosophies of life and she's loving them and She's here and she's talking to us. But was there? Was there an event or a person in your life that triggered this mindset and philosophy in you?
Rick Macci 37:54
I'm not real sure. You know, I grew up in a small town, Greenville, Ohio. 10,000 people 30 miles southwest of Dayton, Ohio. My father passed away when I was 10 years old. It's a crazy story. I picked up a tennis racket. I was a very good golfer, okay, I actually had a four handicap at 10. Listen to this. At 10. I could hit it like an arrow, and at 69 I hit it like a sparrow. So I don't have any control now. But back in the day, I thought I was gonna be a pro golfer. I picked up a racket at 12 by 18. No lessons. Number one player in Ohio Valley. No lessons, you know, I got pretty good pretty fast. So the mental part, I just did it on my own. And I love to compete. I did all sports. But if there would be one person, it would be Dr. James sullair When I became director of tennis at Greenleaf golf and tennis resort, 1980 He was the first of the Mohicans, he was a leader in sports psychology. Now many people have rewrapped it regurgitated it and they got their own dog and pony show. Jim was the first the best of the best. I spent a couple years with him doing stuff Axi for the corporate structure, how to be better in business and how to get the most out of your employees, and some tennis stuff, slowing things down in your mind, you know, all this stuff. So if there's one person that helped me more than anybody, and I learn and be Dr. James layer, but I've kind of had my own thing, simply kind of growing up. You learn the education as you go along. But Jim layer is the best of the best.
Paul Barnett 39:28
I've actually had the good fortune to go to that facility as in Miami, back 20 years ago, and experience it firsthand, the corporate athlete course and it was, as you rightly said, then it was life changing. But it was for me anyway.
Rick Macci 39:44
What I really liked about Jim half the stuff he wrote and then I read it, I didn't understand any of it so I liked it even more. You know, I said that's the best thing I've ever read but I don't understand any of it. But once I did bang just another gold nugget that I can deliver to the P People that I'm around.
Paul Barnett 40:00
Yeah, it's it's very powerful stuff I think he was. I think he was talking about purpose and life energy long before Simon Sinek was, but maybe just one final question, if we could just to finish it up. And I'd like to ask both of you this question, please. But of course, ladies first Dr. Neva. You're a long, long, long way from finishing as a neurologist, potentially, you might do something in life. But who else in life but who knows, but I'm really keen to see and hear what you would hope is the legacy that you're leaving behind you through your work?
Prof Niva 40:36
Absolutely love that question. Because I talked about the concept of, if we want to, you know, somehow die and come back and watch ourselves or change things in the world that's, you know, kind of what I really motivates me. So the legacy I'd always want to leave is that if I can change somebody's life, by somebody being aware that if they conquer their mind, they conquer the world. That's the most important statement, if, if I can change somebody's life, the way they think, they improve their life, they improve their quality of life, they improve, they make a difference in the world, just by improving their thoughts. That's the most, I really think I've achieved a lot. And I think that if we can recognize that our minds are like computers, we're always programming computers, we don't really program our own mind, for optimal success, we don't really even understand it, we don't spend time with it, we don't realize how powerful it is. And when we start doing that each individual has such a brilliant, innate talent that we can give to the world. And when we recognize our talents, or gifts, and we and each one of us focuses on that, rather than focusing on the negativity or somebody else, or you know, hurting somebody or the closet, I don't even understand that when we start focusing on making our talents come to life. And we optimize our minds to do that, and to optimize our abilities, and we make everybody in the world recognize that we can make our world an amazing place. Honestly, like, we all have talents. You know, that's how we people have invented the airplanes and the cars. And I think if we all use our minds and maximize our potential, and reach our potential, wow, it's we, we can do incredible things.
Paul Barnett 42:32
And, Rick, what do you hope is your legacy?
Rick Macci 42:36
First off, you can imagine I've been asked that question a lot lately. And everybody's getting older, even v. So people have asked me that a lot. And, you know, they're probably a little surprised. Because at the end of the day, it's not about everybody's won a Grand Slam that maybe I've had my fingerprints on, or the number ones or all these national titles or coaching the Year award. It's not that it says that. father figure, a role model, okay. Someone who was always there delivering the goods and the consistency, the hard work, you know, because people were using identified by their accomplishments, that's what people are going to look at. But I just want everybody what would mean the most to me? Whenever I was on that tennis court, my favorite student of all time, that hour, that minute, that second was who's on the other side of the net? And that comes from my heart.
Paul Barnett 43:37
Well, Rick, and Dr. Neva, it's been wonderful getting to know you, thank you so much for making the time to talk to us. The book is terrific. Everyone will enjoy it no matter what they are doing with their life or what stage they're at. We'll put the notes Yes, there it is. We'll put the notes in the in the show notes and we'll put links up to the book as well. But thank you both for your time. Well, our evening and your I don't know morning, late night, whatever it
Rick Macci 44:02
is just getting time to go to work. Okay, time to go to work.