Dear Dr. Maxwell,
I discovered the importance of “thinking “ my way to success during my career as a bull rider. I started bull riding with the amateur bull-riding circuit. Not long after I moved to the top of the amateur circuit I yearned to join the professional bull riding association, so I looked to the top for a teacher. I met and started a relationship with a world champion bull rider who lived in my area. His name was Gary Leffew.
Gary invited me to his professional bull-riding arena at his ranch. After it became clear to Gary that I had committed myself to a career as a bull rider, he agreed to help me. He told me that the first thing I would have to do is quit the amateur rodeo circuit. Gary said, “As long as you are hanging around amateurs, you will think like an amateur, and you will not improve your skills.” That day I went from the top of the amateur bull riders to the bottom of the professionals.
After getting my professional cowboy association permit, I went back to Gary's rodeo arena, and I was ready to get on some bulls. Much to my surprise, Gary met up with me that day, gave me a book, and sent me on my way. The book was Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz. Now, you have to understand that for a cowboy, this was a major paradigm shift. All of the other seasoned bull riders were telling me, “If you want to ride bulls, the secret is just getting on as many bulls as your body can withstand in terms of the pain.” But they were not World Champion bull riders like my mentor was. So I took Gary's advice instead, and I went home and read the book.
When I finished, I went back to Gary, and I couldn’t believe what he did next: he gave me another book on thinking! A few more visits to Gary’s ranch netted me more books. I read every one.
Now, some people might think this is crazy, but I yearned to ride a bull. On one visit to Gary’s, I finally told him that I had read every book that he gave me. But now I wanted to get on some bulls! Gary explained to me, “Rich, before you ride bulls,” and pointed to his head, “you’ve got to ride BULLS!” [meaning that the process of visualization had to come first]. Now I understood what he was doing: preparing me mentally for riding bulls! “Okay,” I told him, “so now that I’ve read all those books, I’m ready to get on a bull!” I was wrong. The next step, Gary explained, was cassette tapes. Volumes of tapes!
When Gary finally said I was ready to get on a bull, it was a stationary barrel bull! There I learned how to visualize every bull movement and counter movement.
The next lesson I learned was about association. “Who you hang around with, “Gary explained, “can influence how you think.” As I began traveling in the professional bull riders’ circuit, I learned that it was important to be with the riders who were winning. My mentor told me that if I couldn’t find any winning bull riders to ride with, then I was to travel alone to protect my new winning mental attitude.
Dr. Maxwell, I’d like to tell you that I went on to win the world championship; I didn’t. But I did win a lot of rodeos, and I did make a lot of money riding in the professional bull-riding circuit. This cowboy eventually left the rodeo circuit and married a wonderful woman. We now own one of the largest employment agencies on the central coast of California.
I guess I’m still thinking my way to the top.
Sincerely,
Richard McHugh
SOURCE: Thinking for a Change by John C. Maxwell
