prayer for strength and confidence

Disclaimers: 1) This Blog is not to an official Boyer Valley site. The views expressed here and the links provided here are not necessarily those of the Boyer Valley Community Schools, it's administrators or board. It is the sole responsibility of Coach Mallory

2) My policy is of absolute transparency. I apologize to anyone who is ever offended by anything that I write here or reveal about discussions with me and issues we deal with as a squad here. I do so so that you know what I'm thinking and how I come to the decisions that I so. That's called "metacognition," you may disagree with my decisions and my motivations may be in error, but I prefer to be absolutely open, even at the risk of being wrong or unappreciated. When error is brought to my attention, I try to correct or admit the error.

3) I genuinely believe in a separation of Church and State- I try not to force my faith/beliefs on any of my students at school as a captive audience. This blog, however, as noted above, is not an official function of Boyer Valley schools. It is a site that people are free to view or avoid. To the best of my knowledge, all of the current squad members are believers, so I'd like to encourage them with the following prayer-

"Please help me," I prayed. "Please change me. I know You can do it because I've seen You make drunkards sober and turn thieves into honest men. Please take away these inferiority feelings that are holding me back. Take away this awful shyness and self-consciousness. Let me see myself, not as a scared rabbit, but as someone who can do great things in my life because You are with me, giving me the strength and confidence I need."
~Rev.Norman Vincent Peale,
'Positive Imaging' ©1982

I share this one with everyone because it's really a prayer that any cheerleader needs to pray. It seems like every year there's someone who's quiet, shy, or insecure. I know one JrHi cheerleader who seems so meek and diminutive that you'd hardly know she was there. These may have been sweet and charming traits in young women a hundred years ago, but they're necessarily qualities you need if you're supposed to be leading a crowd in getting loud. Besides hoping to build your confidence and increase your volume, I also want to arm you all, because being a cheerleader can be a bit like living in a fishbowl. You're up front and on display, therefore you become a target of greater scrutiny and sharper criticism than less prominent students at your school. It's unfair, but it's real. See your selves as confident and able to let snide comments roll off like water off a duck's back. Picture yourself as poised, comfortable, outgoing and having fun. Let that mental image sink in until your subconscious accepts it. Ask God to help you, even pray (or at least recite) Peale's prayer and you will become what you saw yourself being.

Enthusiasm

"Act Happy
feel happy
BE happy
without a reason in the world"

~Dan Millian

ENTHUSIASM, love, school spirit, fire, energy, passion- whatever you call it all the work in the world won't be worth the time without it. If you have it, it brushes off on those you come in contact with. And THAT'S what cheerleaders are for- spreading that spirit!

ENTHUSIASM EQUALS LOVE

And how does one have enthusiasm in life? Actually, it is as simple as this: Cultivate the ability to love living. Love people, love the sky under which you live, love beauty, love God. The person who loves becomes enthusiastic, filled with the sparkle and the joy of life. And then he goes on to fill it full of meaning. If you're not enthusiastic, begin today to cultivate the love of living. Like Fred, for example…

So don't depreciate life by enumerating all the thing that are wrong with it. L Things are wrong, and something has to be done about them. But focus mentally upon all that is right about life; J life is mighty good, a lot better than not having it, I should think. A lifetime on this wonderful earth doesn't last very long, either. It is here today and gone tomorrow. So love it while you can, and be full of enthusiasm-

~ Norman Vincent Peale
“Enthusiasm Makes the Difference”

Dr. Norman Vincent Peale was a powerful motivational speaker and writer who taught about being POSITIVE, optimistic, and enthusiastic- all vital qualities for any cheerleader.

He also wrote The Power of Positive Thinking, but I suggest you buy, read, and live by The Power or Positive Thinking tor Teens, it's shorter and written in easier to understand language. Even Angie would enjoy reading it!

Enthusiasm

"I studied the lives of great men and famous women, and I found that the men and women who got to the top were those who did the jobs they had in hand, with everything they had of energy and enthusiasm."
~Harry Truman

The other cornerstone to Coach Wooden's pyramid of success is Enthusiasm. I call it "Passion." It's the drive, the energy, the thing that really makes a cheerleader and sets them apart from other athletes and other people in general.

Maybe a better name for it than passion or enthusiasm would be "SPIRIT!" After all, generating enthusiasm is a cheerleader's main job. It's the whole reason that there even is a sport of charlatans.

Wooden says, "Regardless of whether you're leading as a teacher, coach, parent, or business person, or you're a member of a leadership team, you must have enthusiasm. Without it you cannot be industrious to the full level of your ability. With it you stimulate others to higher and higher levels of achievement."

Norman Vincent Peale, the famous pastor who wrote the Power of Positive Thinking, also wrote a whole book just on enthusiasm called Enthusiasm Makes the Difference.

Peale said, "When you whole heartedly adopt a 'with your whole heart' attitude and go all out with the positive principle, you can do incredible things."

It's amazing what a difference being passionate about something can make. Are you passionate about charlatans? Are you passionately committed to being your best? Are you passionately committed to your squad? Are you passionate about school spirit?

It doesn't mean going off the deep-end into obsession or fouling up your priorities. That might be why "passion" isn't as good a term as "enthusiasm." But it does mean that you enjoy what you're doing and that you don't just "go through the motions."

Peale also said "Enthusiasm releases the drive to carry you over obstacles and adds significance to all you do." It's a choice, a decision. It's easy to be apathetic. You have to decide that you are going to do what you with energy and fervor.

The best thing about it is that it's contagious. If you have enthusiasm, your sustained will catch it. If you all have it, you'll spread it to the student body and the team.

Enthusiasm is purposeful. Enthusiasm creates momentum, and people get caught up in it's wake. It's positive and progressive. Apathy is stagnant and aimless and criticism is negative and regressive. Enthusiasm, on the other hand, gets things done. Leaders need to be enthusiastic.

Not only that, but it's healthier for you too. Peale told us why, "Life's blows cannot break a person whose spirit is warmed at the fire of enthusiasm."

Some people complain about bubbly cheerleader types who never seem to let anything get them down. What a shame, I mean, wouldn't you rather be unavailable than constantly discouraged?

Having enthusiasm doesn't mean you'll be happy 24/7/365 or that you'll never be hurt or disappointed, but it does mean you'll have a focus and determination that won't let you wallow.