their ability to play effectively or not. Each individual on the team
also carries a belief about his own competence. These may or
may not be consistent.
What probably is true is that each of these players once
carried very high beliefs about his own competence. No player
could even be on a professional team if he did not once
demonstrate his ability to win. And we all know beliefs precede
and are consistent with ability. Maybe when he played college
ball or maybe when he played in high school. But no doubt he
once felt certain of his competence, he believed he could and
would win. He knew and remembered how to win. Well in this
game last night both teams demonstrated their current beliefs
that differ from their past beliefs, they believed they could not
use their competence. They seemed to forget what they believed
about their ability and how to use it. The game illustrated very
well the old adage, use it or lose it. Both teams tried to lose it.
So I began to wonder if all the players, except two, forgot
their beliefs about their high ability and where might it be stored.
One player had not scored a touchdown all year and this game
was the 12th, amnesia at its worst. Yet sometimes when you look
inside yourself it becomes very difficult to do so objectively. So
much seems at stake that you lose some perceptual ability, you
know?
So where is the objective, unbiased storage of beliefs
containing high ability? It suddenly dawned on me, the ball!
After all, who scored more touchdowns and field goals than any
player? The ball! Who was present during each tackle or run and
catch for a touchdown? The ball, wow! It contains such a rich
storehouse of memories about how to play well, score and win.
Just ask the ball because it knows how to score and win, it has
done so for many individual players and teams and each scoring
player carries something that knows how. Follow the ball and let
it tell you how, guiding you to the score. To win you just need to
have a ball.
Story reproduced with permission from Hypnotic Language by John
Burton & Bob Bodenheimer.
HYPNOTIC LANGUAGE 123